He also suggested opening country promotion centres in key target markets to assist and inform travellers about the destination prior to their trips.
For Monterde, on the other hand, going digital is important.
“I am happy to hear that the tourism ministry is currently working on a one-stop digital marketplace platform to boost Indonesia’s tourism. People from around the world should be able to look into tourism packages to all destinations in Indonesia offered by travel agents within one platform,” suggested Monterde.
The importance of digital platforms for the country’s tourism ministry was confirmed by the recent launch of 360 virtual reality videos on YouTube showcasing Bali and Jakarta, and according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, footage of other destinations are to follow.
In addition to this, the tourism promotion budget for this year is almost four times that of 2015, according to Tony, who was positive that efforts conducted by the government will show results in two to three years.
NEW DESTINATIONS
It is also important to spread the growth evenly to all destinations within the country, according to Monterde, who believes that for too long the attractions have been only coming in major areas like Jakarta, Bali and Yogyakarta.
“There is still a wide range of destinations that can be promoted to the world, like Lombok, famous amongst international surfers, but not too well-known by common tourists, [then] Raja Ampat, Bangka-Belitung, Medan, Makassar and many more […],” he said, expressing confidence that with a solid infrastructure and the right promotions, these destinations will be just as much appealing to international tourists.
The government is already working on [highlighting] new destinations, based on both culture and nature, Tony explained.
“This year, there are five […] cities in Indonesia that the government will develop and promote as heritage city tourism destinations; one [is] Yogyakarta,” he revealed.
In regards to the effect these new locations will have on existing hubs, tourism stakeholders in Bali are confident that competition can only be good.
“It will affect Bali positively I believe,” said Billah, suggesting that the island is the point of tourists entering the country, before exploring the beyond and finally returning to Bali to end their holidays.
These views were mirrored by Ciaman, who believes, “Bali itself is a very mature destination and a combination trip with other new destinations in Indonesia would bring a fresh perspective to it.
Yes, we might lose some arrivals initially, but in the long run it will bring a much healthier tourism situation in Indonesia.”
“We need to see the bigger picture and new destinations will bring more attention to Indonesia in general,” concluded Ciaman.
