INDONESIA PROMOTES "WONDERFUL INDONESIA" BRAND IN ITB BERLIN by Fardah

Jakarta, March 11, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia is once again participating in the annual Internationale Tourismus-Börse (International Tourism Bourse - ITB) Berlin in Germany, currently on.

        The event, which opened on March 9, will continue till March 13, 2016.

        Indonesia's pavilion, themed "Wonderful Indonesia," is once again featuring a Phinisi tall ship, a means of transport on the sea since times immemorial for Indonesian sailors living in the archipelagic country, particularly in South Sulawesi.

        Phinisi ship brought luck to Indonesia as its pavilion featuring the Indonesian legendary seafaring icon won the Best Exhibitor Award for the Asian, Australian and Oceania region in the ITB, held in Messe Berlin, on March 4-8, 2015.

        Over 100 travel operators joined the Indonesian delegation to promote the country's tourist destinations and offer various tour packages to buyers from all over the world.

        In 2015, Indonesia's delegation, consisting of 88 travel agents, recorded business transactions worth Rp4.8 trillion in the ITB Berlin.

          This year, Indonesia expects to surpass last year's value target by 20 percent, as 850 qualified top buyers have confirmed their participation in the ITB Berlin.

        While participating in the ITB Berlin, the Indonesian tourism ministry is working towards developing its branding.

        In addition to advertising and promoting "Wonderful Indonesia," the ministry is also building its tourism branding, Nia Niscaya, assistant to the tourism minister's deputy in charge of the marketing development for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, informed Antara on March 9.

        Indonesia has placed numerous ads to integrate various aspects of selling, advertising, and brand building, she revealed.

        Several pictures of the country's scenic locations are on display at the world's largest travel fair.

        The Indonesian delegation also held a press conference that was attended by some 100 journalists at the ITB Berlin's venue, recently.

        "The point is to market tourist destinations from Sabang (Aceh) to Merauke (Papua)," Nia Niscaya said, adding that the Indonesian delegation to the ITB Berlin would be headed by Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.      
  The Indonesian government hopes to generate foreign exchange amounting to Rp172 trillion from 12 million foreign tourist arrivals and Rp223.6 trillion from 260 million domestic tourists this year.

       The country has also set a target of receiving 20 million foreign tourists by 2019. In 2014, the country received a total of 9.4 million foreign tourists.

       The tourism industry contributed  nine percent to the country's economy in 2014, but this is expected to increase by 15 percent by 2019.

        The country's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) is expected to improve from 70th rank in 2014 to 30th in 2019.

       Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Fauzi Bowo explained that the government had relaxed several bureaucratic procedures in tourism-related businesses in order to attract tourists and investors.

       The government has offered visa-free facilities to tourists from 75 countries and has eased permits for entry of foreign yachts into Indonesia.

       Citing an example, the envoy said since January this year, five foreign yachts had docked at Sabang harbor, which is quite small, remote, and some 1.9 thousand kilometers from Jakarta.

       Deputy for International Marketing of the Tourism Ministry I Gde Pitana said recently that the Indonesian Pavilion located in Hall 26A No. 122, promotes destinations that have strong 3As, namely, accessibility, attractions and amenities.

       During the tourism bourse, a total of 101 Indonesian tourism agents, comprising tourism businesses such as tour agents, hotels and resorts, as well as  provincial tourism offices, are offering a variety of attractive travel packages, such as Lake Toba, Bali, Borobudur and Prambanan Temples, and Raja Ampat maritime resort.

        "We are marketing our tourist destinations from Sabang (the western-most region) to Merauke (the eastern-most region)," Pitana noted.

        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.

       This year, as many as 10 thousand exhibitors from 187 countries are showcasing the latest products and trends related to the global tourism industry at 1,069 stands.

       The organizers hope to draw some 100 thousand international trade visitors, and public attendance is expected to reach tens of thousands on the weekend.

       The ITB Buyers Circle gathers travel buyers from Europe, Asia, America, Africa, and Australia, more than 40 percent of whom conduct business to the tune of some 50 million euros each.

       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.  
  This year, the Maldives is ITB Berlin's Partner Country. ***1***
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11-03-2016 18:41:04