The Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia, is promoting the unexplored corners of the island to attract more visitors from India. Bambang Sunaryo, spokesperson, tells Shrabasti Mallik that they are targetiing 20 million visitors by 2019
When the going gets tough the first thing you want to do is pack your bags and head for a place of peace and quiet. And if you feel like loosening your purse strings, you might want to head off to Bali. That was what Julia Robert’s character did in the movie Eat Pray love. She went to Bali to find a balance in her life amidst the pristine beaches and the serene calmness that surrounds the place. But Bali and Sumatra are not the only places that make up the world’s largest archipelago. In fact, there are as many as 14,000 islands in Indonesia and they encompass hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups.
Indonesia is a land largely unexplored. Bali and Sumatra are most talked about because, somehow they have always been a favourite. Indonesia Tourism showed us the beauty that the world is yet to discover. For example, did you know that there are three lakes with waters of different coloursIJ Yes, in central Flores island in Indonesia, is located volcano Kelimutu which contains three striking summit crater lakes of varying colors. Tiwu Ata Bupu (lake of old people) is usually blue and is the westernmost of the three lakes. The other two lakes, Tiwu Ko’o Fai Nuwa Muri (lake of young men and maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (bewitched or enchanted lake) are separated by a shared crater wall and are typically green or red, respectively.
Similarly, the numerous islands are unique in their own accord. While some have historic monuments, some are famous for animals. The Komodo island is home to the giant Komodo dragon. “There are about 20,000 komodo dragons in the island and it is the only place that you will find them,” said Bambang Sunaryo, Wisdom Mice, Indonesia.
Unlike its neighbouring countries Singapore and Malaysia, Indonesia Tourism took some time before becoming active in promotions. But the tourism sector has been evolving rapidly and has now become one of the fastest growing sectors in the world. 2014 had seen a drastic growth in foreign exchange revenue and an overall growth of eight per cent in the economy. “India is ranked in the top 10 countries for tourist arrival to Indonesia. Based on the foreign visits data of 2014, the number of Indian visitors increased to 2,37,990 (16.23 per cent) as compared to 2,04,765 visitors in 2013. From January till September this year the footfall has been over 1,95,214,” Sunaryo shared.
The target, now, of the tourism department is 20 million international arrivals by 2015, and they are leaving no stone unturned to make it happen. The reason why they are focussing on India is because of a shared history. Sunaryo told us that there are clusters of Indian communities in Indonesia and that they would like more Indians to visit. “We want to take the experience beyond Bali,” he said. To reach the target, the Ministry of Tourism is focussing on three main segments — nature (marine, adventure and ecology tourism), culture (historic and religious tourism, culinary, urban and country side tourism) and man made (MICE and event, sports and integrated resort tourism). “There will be well conducted safari and we are also promoting the place as a wedding destination. The place is so beautiful and there is so much that you can do — hiking, snorkelling, under water diving and safari,” he said.
As much as he described the beauty of the place and what to experience there, he asked us ways in which they can improve the tourism experience of the country. Then very patiently he jotted down what we had to say about reaching out to the young generation through social media and integrating their tour packages online.
In a step to encourage more international visitors, tourist visa have been made free since October 8 but visa is applicable to those travelling to the country for business purpose. Buy as much as the tourism department try and promote the unexplored beauty of the place, the lack of direct flights to Indonesia is a major drawback. One has to break their journey either in Singapore or Malaysia to reach their destination. “We are trying to tie up with various airlines to provide direct connectivity. Hopefully, by the end of next year, there will be direct flights,” Sanjay Sondhi, country director, Visit Indonesia, pointed out.