We Are Looking At Targeting 435,000 Indian Tourists, Or Even Surpass The Number: Marthini

Indonesia is actively endeavoring to tap into India as a key source market for tourism, recognizing the immense potential of Indian travelers. Through targeted marketing efforts & collaborative initiatives, Indonesia aims to showcase its diverse attractions and cultural richness, forging stronger ties in between two countries.

Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy Minister for Marketing, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia talks to T3 on how the scenario is unfolding.

Tourism in development & employment generation

The contribution of tourism and creative economy towards job creation in Indonesia is crucial. 23 million people work in this sector, showcasing how important the sector is. Indonesia is a fast-growing country, having its own uniqueness and diversity, that is why the government is working so hard for the past 10 years to build world-class facilities and destinations so that people know Indonesia beyond Bali. If we are able to create more destinations like Bali, imagine how many jobs can be created and how impactful it would be for the local communities and people around the destinations.

With regards to, ‘Visitors Economy’ impact in terms of contribution to the country’s economy and GDP and the allied sectors, last year, it was around 3.6% and this year we are expecting it to be upto 3.6%, but next year we are looking at 4.1%. This depicts how important tourism is for the economy.

India as a source market & response

India, for the past two years post-pandemic, has become one of the most sources of tourists in Indonesia. With regards to Bali alone, Indian travelers are placed in the second position. Despite Covid-19 and the connectivity situation which is not back to 100%, still people are traveling. For the whole Indonesia, India ranks number 6 after Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Timor-Leste and China. In terms of numbers, from January to July, 345,000 Indians traveled already, and we are looking at targeting 435,000 Indian tourists. We are hopeful to surpass the target set by the government. Also, we are happy to share that pre-covid numbers for the months of July and August are already surpassed. That implies during summer, a lot of Indians came to visit, not just Bali, but other destinations at the same time.

Roadmap

Through our roadshow, our primary intent is to showcase to the Indian travelers the other destinations that we have, secondly the attractions, and thirdly to understand the market. We have everything for young Indians, FIT, MICE, weddings and a lot more. Bali is loved by Indian travelers for weddings. During this roadshow or sales mission, we intent to showcase other destinations for weddings for Indians. Also, wellness is seen to be growing post Covid, therefore we wish the Indian travelers to learn about the uniqueness of the wellness centers that we have. We also want to invite more of Indian film-makers and Bollywood stars to come and shoot movies. I am going to work hard, with Indian stakeholders and my colleagues to plan out how we can have more film-shootings happening in Indonesia. We would reach out to the film industry and invite them to boost tourism and understand each other more through cinema.

The govt. has finalized 5 new destinations to be promoted to tourists, which is Lake Toba in Northern Sumatra, followed by Borobudur, Lombok, Labuan Bajo, and Likupang. Of course we have more, but we want to focus on these offbeat destinations to showcase to the world. In terms of connectivity, now India has direct connectivity to Indonesia, with IndiGo connecting Mumbai and Jakarta. We are hopeful that in the coming holidays, Indians are coming for and beyond Bali.

To ease the experience of travelers, we have got e-Visa on arrival for Indian travelers. The second category that we have launched for investors is the Golden Visa. Also, we have a senior visa or retirement visa for one year. We have inaugurated ‘Wonderful Indonesia’ corner at VFS Mumbai. I hope with the partnership, the process of travel get easier for Indian travelers.

Boosting bilateral tourism between the two countries

India and Indonesia, have had significant cultural similarities since long back. If you come to Indonesia, you witness a lot of Sanskrit names, along with Buddhist and Hindu temples from which many are influenced by India. In today’s world, it is our duty to maintain the relationship, and to get closer to each other. And I think people-to-people contact can make it happen, and tourism is the way. When Indonesians come to India, they understand the culture and trade and it works vice versa. I think the ministries of trade of both sides are in discussion with regard to bilateral trade agreements. I think this is would be a great way and we welcome it and it is going to bring mutual benefits to both of us, for trade, tourism and investments.