Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism brought a rafter of new tourism programmes to the Travel Exchange of recently-concluded ASEAN Tourism Forum in Malaysia.
Among the programmes showcased were Indonesia’s clean tourism movement, tourism 5.0 digitalisation initiative, as well as the ongoing development of special-interest attractions.
Tourism ministry deputy for marketing Ni Made Ayu Marthini pointed out that the ASEAN Tourism Forum offered the best opportunity for the country to introduce new initiatives for the development of its tourism sector.
Marthini added that Indonesia received 4,303,773 tourist arrivals from Southeast Asian countries in the past year.
She said: “This ASEAN market still has great potential for optimisation.”
How to draw in more tourists from neighbouring Malaysia
Likewise, the Ministry is working with the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Johor Bahru, the Johor State Government, and the Riau Islands Provincial Government to improve Johor’s connectivity with parts of Indonesia.
The partnerships also seek to establish cross-regional tourism promotion cooperation between the two nations.
Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto, Indonesia’s consul-general in Johor Bahru, explained how the cross-border tourism promotion programme will include special border treatment for Malaysians residing in Johor who wish to travel to the Riau Islands, and vice-versa.
Widyanto said: “Regarding the plan for special border treatment, the Riau Islands Province Regional Tourism Promotion Agency and Tourism Johor are currently in the technical implementation discussion stage with tourism business actors in their respective regions.”
