Indonesia aims high package transactions, best title at world's leading travel fair

Indonesia aims to net US$470 million of tourism package transactions in the world's leading travel fair event of Internationale Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Messe Berlin, Germany on March 8-12, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

That would be much higher than he US$375,605 the nation has netted last year, a minister said Wednesday.

Besides targeting higher transactions in the annual event, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that Indonesia also has set the target of winning the best exhibit title at the event.

In 2016 ITB Indonesia won the "Best Exhibitor Award" for Asia, Australia and Oceania region, brushing aside the other regional nominators, South Korea and India to secure the prestigious title.

"This is the world's leading tourism event. All countries would do their utmost to show their best performance in attracting visitors here by offering the best of their tour destinations. This is the best moment to show off our Wonderful Indonesia brand to the world," the minister said in Berlin in a statement.

Indonesia brings 124 participants from several tour destinations and national travel agents during 2017 ITB, higher than 100 ones last year. This year Indonesian exhibit's design is themed traditional Sulawesi boat of Phinisi.

ITB displayed some 10,000 exhibits last year, attracting at least 180,000 visitors comprising travel enthusiasts, potential visitors and those indulging in travel and tour industry.

The minister said that winning the best title in international travel event like ITB is very important to bolster the nation's tourism sector, which has been declared as the nation's core business.

He added that the title would boost the 3Cs principle in the sector, consisting of Calibration, Confidence and Credibility.

"Should those three principles be well-addressed, it would increase our bargaining value in world's tourism industry. We already won prestigious international awards in the last two years," the minister said.

Indonesia earned 12 of 16 best awards in international halal tourism for several categories last year, higher than that earned by the nation a year earlier.

Besides those awards, Indonesia's tour destinations received recognitions from several influential travel media as best places to visit for several categories.

Indonesia's resort island of Bali also received an award from Singapore-based prominent travel media, DestinAsian, in the last 12 consecutive years. - BERNAMA