PHINISI PAVILION EARNS AWARD FOR INDONESIA IN ITB BERLIN By Fardah

    Jakarta, March 12, 2015 (Antara) -  Phinisi ship again brings lucks to Indonesia as its pavilion featuring the Indonesian legendary seafaring icon has won the Best Exhibitor Award for the Asian, Australian and Oceania region in the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin held in Messe Berlin, Germany, on March 4-8, 2015.
    The phinisi tall ship is a sea transportation means since time immemorial for Indonesian sailors who live in the archipelagic country, particularly South Sulawesi, which is dominated by water areas.    
    As one of Indonesia's cultural heritages, Phinisi boat has been included in the Borobudur Buddhist Temple's reliefs since the 9th century.

         Taking the Phinisi ship as an icon for the Indonesian pavilion is also an effort to boost the country's marine tourism promotion program.

         Indonesia has organized a series of Sail Indonesia marine tourism events such as Sail Bunaken (in North Sulawesi), Sail Banda (Maluku), Sail Wakatobi-Belitung (Southeast Sulawesi and Bangka Belitung/Sumatra), and Sail Morotai (North Maluku), and Sail Raja Ampat (West Papua).

         The Indonesian pavilion accommodated some 100 sellers in the ITB Berlin -  the world's largest tourism fair. The country has showcased a wooden Phinisi ship in the ITB Berlin for the past three consecutive years and is always awarded as one of the best exhibitors.

         Indonesia is one of the 10 award recipients along with nine others from Asia, Australia, and Oceania.

         The other recipients are Korea, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Agustini Rahayu, the Indonesian tourism ministry's deputy director of overseas tourism promotion for Europe said recently.

         A total of 11 thousand exhibitors from 189 countries, including 944 for the category of Asia, Australia, and Oceania, are participating in ITB Berlin 2015, the world's largest tourism event.

         This year, Mongolia is the partner nation of ITB Berlin and offered would-be tourists the slogan "Nomadic by Nature."      
    In 2013, Indonesia was the ITB's official partner country, and had the privilege of being the host of the opening ceremony, which was officiated by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and the then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.  
    Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the ITB Berlin in early March 2015, Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that Indonesia's participation in the tourism bourse is part of its efforts to promote Indonesian tourism aimed at attracting 20 million foreign tourists by 2019.

         The minister stated that Indonesia should strive to promote its tourism, so that it can attract 20 million foreign tourists, with an annual growth of 12 percent.

         "We will send a message through the expo that Indonesia is a world-class tourism destination. It is really a wonderful country," he said.

         Indonesia is made up of over 13 thousand islands, spans three time zones of the world, and comprises 1,128 ethnic groups with over a hundred local dialects, he remarked.

         "Even though Indonesia is blessed with rich natural resources, its real wealth lies in its people, traditions, folklores, and cultures," the minister explained.

         International tourist arrivals to Indonesia remained high. Based on a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), 9,435,411 tourists visited Indonesia from January to December 2014, an increase of 7.19 percent of the total number recorded in 2013, he remarked.

         Thus, in 2015, Indonesia expects to lure 12 million foreign tourists, he noted, adding that the Ministry of Tourism will focus on three main tourism products: nature, culture, and integrated tourism.

         The tourism ministry's Director for International Tourism Promotion Nia Niscaya confirmed that Indonesia's participation at the ITB Berlin is part of its efforts to attract 20 million foreign tourists by 2019.

         The Indonesian delegation in the ITB Berlin occupied more than 410 m2 in Hall 26A, No. 120. The delegation comprised 100 tour operators, businessman, accommodation providers, and provincial tourism authorities.

         The Indonesian delegation conducted meetings with buyers as well as with other stakeholders from the tourism industry during the ITB Berlin.

         It offered diving sites in Raja Ampat (Papua), cultural heritage in Borobudur and Prambanan (Central Java), shopping in Jakarta and Bandung, and an ideal holiday location in Bali.

         The five-day travel trade show attracted  at least 175,000 visitors this year, according to the organizing committee in its press release. Overall, some 115,000 trade visitors travelled to Berlin.

         ITB Berlin was able to cement its position as the world's largest travel trade show. Some 10,096 exhibitors from 186 countries, more than two-thirds of whom were from abroad, were represented in 26 display halls which were fully booked.    
    It covers all aspects of travel and tourism that include countries, tour operators, booking system developers, airlines, hotels and other businesses concerned with tourism present their ideas to not only introduce themselves but also to inspire wanderlust.

         Organized for the first time in 1966 with only five participating countries as part of an overseas import trade fair, the ITB has since developed into a worldwide success. ***1***
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