The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Participates in WTM London 2022 to Revive the Existence and Quality of Indonesian Tourism

Jakarta, Indonesia, November 2022 – The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (MOT CE RI) and Indonesian tourism industry players will participate again in the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2022, which will be held offline from November 7 – 9, 2022, in an effort to revive Indonesia's tourism industry following Covid-19.

The second-largest tourism exhibition in the world operates out of ExCel, London, England. Wonderful Indonesia’s pavilion occupies a space of 100 square meters and is located in booth AS900.

Indonesia's participation in WTM London 2022 helps attempts to revive Indonesian tourism, which has been open to foreign visitors since February 2022, in order to boost the nation's foreign exchange and revive job possibilities. Some of the initiatives taken to boost the tourism sector include the application of a Special Tourist Visa on Arrival for 86 countries starting in September 2022, visa-free for ASEAN member countries, and second home visas. Other initiatives include the exemption of PCR test requirements for international travelers who are healthy upon arrival and the exemption from quarantine requirements for travelers who have been fully vaccinated.

“An essential factor that can boost the growth of international visitor arrivals to Indonesia and boost the competitiveness of Indonesian tourism on a worldwide scale is the convenience of visa services. Indonesia hopes to welcome 3.5 to 7.4 million foreign visitors in 2023. For international visitors who fit the requirements, we think a second home visa with a validity duration of 5 to 10 years can be a door for a niche market," said The Indonesia Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.

Ni Made Ayu Marthini, the Deputy for Marketing, added, "Indonesia's participation in WTM London 2022 is also to assist Indonesian tourism industry participants to be able to reactivate their synergized business through presence in the second largest tourism market exchange in the world. So that, it has a positive reputation to entice potential visitors from the European market in general and the UK market in particular to visit Indonesia. it needs to be continually built up as a secure, comfortable, and competitive tourist destination that stresses quality and sustainability. The primary market segments to be targeted in Europe are upper middle class and higher-class individuals since they still have the desire and financial means to take long-haul international vacations in spite of the prospect of a recession next year”.

Thirty-six (36) tourism industry participants, including Travel Bureaus, Tour Operators, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and well-known hotel chains in Indonesia, partake in WTM 2022 to offer a variety of attractive tour packages, including Bali and five of Indonesia's mainstay Super Priority Destinations: Borobudur in Central Java, Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, and Likupang in North Sulawesi.

Specifically, the expected target pax from this event is 29,500 Pax, or equivalent to the potential transaction of USD 20,578,512.

MOT CE RI engages in a number of marketing initiatives to promote Indonesian travel abroad, including participation in the biggest travel exhibitions, collaborative marketing and joint promotion (integrated cooperation) in market origination, familiarisation trips (introduction tours), and festivals. The four programmes have been operating in an effort to speed up the Minister’s 3G tourism initiative,

Gercep (Move Fast), Geber (Work Together), and Gaspol (Utilise Every Digital Potential).

“Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is now creating a number of post-pandemic tourism product trends that are smaller in size, tailored, personalised, and localised. In addition, we are shifting from low-quality mass tourist, which depends on Sun, Sea, and Sand, to higher-quality tourism, which provides an experience of Serenity, Spirituality, and Sustainability. In keeping with the concept of sustainable tourism, one of the areas of attention is the creation of Tourism Villages, Thematic Villages, and Creative Cities as solutions for post-pandemic economic recovery", said Sandiaga.

According to Sandiaga, the Tourism Village programme has recently been increasingly popular. There are 85,000 villages in Indonesia altogether, and 7,500 of them are tourist destinations. Along with changes in post-epidemic tourism habits, tourist villages have shown to be winners from the pandemic. The 30% spike in interest rates for tourist villages is evidence of this.

On the other hand, to promote Indonesian spices and culinary abroad, the Indonesian government is currently developing a program called “Indonesia Spice Up the World” (ISUTW). In the future, this program will drive the development of Indonesian restaurant networks abroad as Indonesian gastro diplomacy to achieve an export value of spices and seasonings of USD 2 billion and activate as many as 4,000 restaurants abroad by 2024.

For further information:

Mr. Cecep Rukendi

Director of Tourism Marketing for EMEAA (Europe, the Middle East, America, and Africa)
Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Tourism and Creative Economy Agency
E-mail: ceceprukendi@indonesia.travel  
Mobile Phone: +62 812 9983 230