Indonesia's Participation in WTM London 2022
Indonesia's participation in WTM London 2022 supports efforts to reopen its tourism industry to international travelers, which has been open since February 2022, with the aim of increasing foreign exchange earnings and restoring employment opportunities. Several measures have been implemented to revive the tourism industry, including the removal of the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test requirement for healthy international travelers upon arrival, the waiver of quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers, the implementation of a Special Tourist Visa on Arrival for 86 countries since September 2022, visa-free entry for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries, and the introduction of the second home visa.
"Facilitating visa services is an important component in boosting the growth of international tourist arrivals to Indonesia and enhancing the country's tourism competitiveness at a global level. In 2023, Indonesia aims to attract between 3.5 million and 7.4 million international visitors. We believe that the second home visa, with a validity period of 5 to 10 years, can serve as an entry point for niche markets of foreign tourists who meet the criteria," said Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.
Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy for Marketing, added, "Indonesia's participation in WTM London 2022 also aims to facilitate Indonesian tourism industry players in reactivating their businesses by engaging in this, the world's second-largest tourism market. Indonesia's image as a safe, comfortable, and competitive tourism destination that prioritizes quality and sustainability must continue to be strengthened to foster a positive perception, encouraging potential European tourists in general and British tourists in particular to visit Indonesia. The upper-middle and upper-class segments in Europe are the primary target markets, as they continue to have the desire and financial capability to undertake long-haul international travel next year despite recession threats."
Thirty-six (36) tourism business players, including Travel Agencies, Tour Operators, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and well-known hotel networks in Indonesia, participated in WTM 2022 to offer a variety of attractive tour packages, including trips to Bali and Indonesia’s five Super Priority Destinations: Borobudur (Central Java), Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Mandalika (West Nusa Tenggara), Labuan Bajo (East Nusa Tenggara), and Likupang (North Sulawesi).
Specifically, the target number of visitors (pax) expected from participation in WTM 2022 is 29,500, with a potential international tourism transaction target of IDR 322.28 billion or USD 20,578,512.
To promote Indonesian tourism abroad, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Kemenparekraf / Baparekraf) has several marketing activities, including participation in major tourism fairs, Collaborative Marketing & Joint Promotion in key market origins, familiarization trips, and festivals. These four programs have been implemented as part of the acceleration efforts for the 3G tourism program (Gercep, Geber, Gaspol).
"In addition, Kemenparekraf is currently developing various post-pandemic tourism product trends that are customized, personalized, localized, and smaller in size, as well as transforming mass tourism—previously focused on sun, sea, and sand—into higher-quality tourism that offers serenity, spirituality, and sustainability experiences. One of the main focuses is the development of Tourism Villages, Thematic Villages, and Creative Cities as solutions for post-pandemic economic recovery, aligning with the concept of sustainable tourism," Sandi explained when discussing why the Tourism Village program has recently gained popularity.
Indonesia has a total of 85,000 villages, 7,500 of which have tourism potential. Tourism villages have even proven to be a "pandemic winner" in line with shifting tourism trends in the post-pandemic era, as evidenced by a 30% increase in interest in these destinations.
Moreover, in promoting Indonesian spices and cuisine globally, the Indonesian government is actively implementing the Indonesia Spice Up the World (ISUTW) program. This initiative aims to expand the network of Indonesian restaurants abroad as part of Indonesia’s gastrodiplomacy strategy, with the goal of reaching USD 2 billion in spice and seasoning exports and activating 4,000 Indonesian restaurants worldwide by 2024.
For More Information:
Directorate of Tourism Marketing Region II
Deputy for Marketing
Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Tourism and Creative Economy Agency
E-mail: europe1@indonesia.travel
