Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, India was one of the markets for Indonesia that had the highest increase in the number of tourists every year
Recently, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (MoTCE) hosted a familiarisation trip for several influencers from India to attract more tourists from the country.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno says that the activity was part of a promotional campaign to stimulate tourism in the country. “In addition, this activity is also expected to make Indonesia a top of mind for tourists from India,” he said.
Acting Director of Tourism Marketing for Regional I, Agustini Rahayu says the famtrip was held from August 4 to 10, with eight opinion makers consisting of four celebrities and influencers and four crew members as fam trip participants.
“MoTCE together with the Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer (VITO) New Delhi and Mumbai brought in these influencers, as an effort to increase tourist visits from India to Indonesia. Indian tourists are promising, the market is there, then the destination is well prepared,’’ he adds.
The fam trip participants visited several destinations
Indian tourists have been the focus of the market since 2016. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, India was one of the markets that had the highest increase in the number of tourists every year. In 2016, the total Indian tourists reached 353,444 people. This number continued to increase in 2017 and 2018, reaching 657,300 people in 2019.
The fam trip participants visited several destinations from Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali with the key points being promoted, namely food, culture, wellness and witness Indonesia as a honeymoon destination. This activity was organised as part of the #ItsTimeforBali promotional campaign and is expected to keep Bali as a top of mind tourism destination.
“This effort also introduces other Indonesian tourism potentials for tourists from India. Besides Bali, the participants will also explore Jakarta and Yogyakarta,” he said.
While in Jakarta, influencers were offered urban-based tours synonymous with modern business and shopping centres, while the focus in Yogyakarta was cultural and natural tourism.
The photos and videos produced by the fam trip participants will not only be published by them but will also be used as one of the promotional materials in a joint promotion activity for the Indian market which is planned to be held in September.
This fam trip was a form of collaboration between the MoTCE with various partners including Wonderful Indonesia co-branding partners, like AirAsia, Desa Potato Head, Plataran Borobudur, Caspla Cruise, Secret Garden Village, and Finns.
“They genuinely supported this fam trip activity because they feel it can be an effective collaborative effort to increase awareness, which ultimately influences the decision to choose Indonesian destinations as their tourist destinations,” says Agustini Rahayu.
