Indonesia To Attract Korean Golfers

Indonesia wants to attract Korean golfers to a country that boasts more than 140 courses.

The comment was made at the "Indonesia Tourism Insight: Policy and Strategy" conference hosted by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry on Nov. 24.

Noviendi Makalam, director of international marketing communication at the ministry, spoke about new Indonesian tourism regulations and destinations.

"We invite travelers from South Korea to enjoy golf resorts and religious pilgrimage in Indonesia," the director said at the conference at Courtyard by Marriott in Seoul. "Indonesia is home to some of the world's best golf resorts, complemented by international-standard amenities."

According to the ministry, Indonesia has been a venue for international golf tournaments, including the 6th Ballantine's Team-Am Golf Challenge in September and the World Amateur Golf Championship last month.

As part of promoting the country as an attractive golfing spot, the tourism ministry has a new strategy, "Three Greater: Jakarta, Batam and Bali." The three regions are working together so foreign tourists can enjoy Indonesia's nature.

"Indonesian golf courses are equipped with top facilities and services and supported by strategic locations," Makalam said. "Only in this country can golfers can indulge in different settings at each course."

He said the Indonesian government's new policies will attract more Korean travelers: free visa and more immigration checkpoints for Korean travelers, the abolition of clearance approval for Korean yachts to enter Indonesian territories via 18 ports, and the abolition of cabotage, which gives priority access to cruises to embark/disembark foreign tourists at five harbors in Indonesia.

"Our new policies will help South Koreans to travel more conveniently to Indonesia," Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said.

Korean travelers can access more immigration checkpoints at arrival gates at five airports and nine ports. Additional immigration checkpoints are available at departure gates at 19 airports, 29 seaports and two landed ports.

"Since developing the marine tourism industry is one of our targets, the new policy allows cruises with foreign flags to take passengers in five ports in Indonesia," the minister said.

According to a recent presidential regulation, foreign yachts are now allowed more easily to enter Indonesian territories, with processing of their custom, immigration, quarantine and port documents available at 18 ports. The ministry expects the policy to increase the number of yachts visiting Indonesia to 5,000 in 2019.

The five cruise ship ports are Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, Belawan Port in Medan, Soekarno-Hatta Port in Makassar, and Benoa Port in Bali.

The government has also removed visas for citizens of 90 countries on short trips, including Korea.

"With these new policies, we're hoping to increase Indonesia's tourism values in the global industry," Makalam said.

According to the ministry, the number of Korean travelers is increasing. Last year, more than 370,000 Koreans visited Indonesia, and the ministry predicts the number will reach 500,000 this year.

The number of foreign tourists to the country in January-August was up to almost 3 percent compared with the same period last year.

By Rachel Lee, The Korean Times

Wonderful Indonesia Golf Challenge

The Organising Commitees of the Bintan & Batam Golf Clubs have announced that the Wonderful Indonesia Golf Challenge 2015 will be simultaneously held at 9 golf courses in Batam & Bintan on Saturday 10 October 2015. This truly unique golf tournament, that is aiming for induction into MURI (Indonesia Museum of Records), will be attracting more than 1,000 golfers across this region.

Adopting System 36 modified format, this 18-holes golf tournament will provide each golfer a chance to win Hole-In-One prizes with a total value of IDR 1,000,000,000 at nine golf courses, while attractive prizes, dinner and a fun-filled event awaits at the Planet Holiday Hotel in Batam.

The entry fee is IDR 1,750,000 which is inclusive of 18-holes golf, twin share accommodation, lunch, Gala Dinner, land transfers, goody bag, Grand Lucky Draw and many more attractive prizes to be won.

The Wonderful Indonesia Golf Challenge 2015 is the 1st event hosted by the Batam & Bintan Golf Courses in Riau Islands province, with Planet Holiday Hotel as official hotel partner. This event is endorsed by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.

Located just 45 minutes via a ferry ride from Singapore, Bintan Resorts is a multi-award winning integrated tropical beach resort destination with world-class facilities. “Bintan Resorts” refers generally to the area on the entire northern coast of the Indonesian island of Bintan, which is master-planned and managed by PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala. There are currently five independently owned and operated beach resorts, four designer golf courses, as well as a range of recreational facilities and attractions located within it.

The Potential of Batam as a golf destination is captured in the slogan “Batam Golf Paradise”. All courses have their own uniqueness & identity, a few with a seafront view, others are surrounded by secondary forest and mangrove. Needless to say that each imposes iys challenge in different ways.

After playing at one of these beautifully laid-out courses, golfers will be spoilt for choice at the numerous shopping malls to visit, soaking at a traditional spa or Javanese massage, eating authentic Indonesian or local Chinese seafood dishes that tempt the taste bud of every visitor.

Wonderful Indonesia Golf Challenge Golf hosted by:

1. Ria Bintan Golf Club (course designed by Gary Players)
2. Bintan Lagoon Resort (course designed by Jack Nicklaus)
3. Laguna Bintan Golf Club (course designed by Greg Norman)
4. Padang Golf Sukajadi (course designed by Thomson, Wolveridge & Perret)
5. SouthLinks Country Club (course designed by Hisamitsu Ohnishi)
6. Indah Puri Golf Resort (course designed by Ronald Fream)
7. Palm Springs Golf & Beach Resort (course designed by Larry Nelson & IMG)
8. Tering Bay Golf & Country Club (course designed by Greg Norman)
9. Tamarin Santana Golf Club (course designed by Jack Nicklaus)
10. Planet Holiday Hotel as a official hotel partner

The Wonderful Indonesia Golf Challenge 2015 is endorsed by Indonesian Minittry of Tourism. supported by bu the Tourism Department of Riau Islanda province, Batam Tourism Department, Bintan Tourism Department, APLGI (Indonesia Golf Course Owners Association, ASITA (Indonesian Travel Agent Association) and PHRI (Indonesia Hotel Association)

Indonesia Tourism Ministry, Accor Launch Golf Tour Packages

Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism has partnered with Garuda Indonesia, Accor Hotels and Malaysian golf tour operators to launch Wonderful Indonesia Le Club Accorhotels Golf Challenge at a media event in Kuala Lumpur.

This is the second promotional event for the campaign following Singapore and will also be rolled out in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Melbourne, Sydney and Manila.

"This is the first time the government is collaborating with Accor and the consortium to promote golf packages in Indonesia. It helps create awareness of Indonesia as a golf destination and attracts more FIT golfers," said Nia Niscaya, director of international tourism promotion for the Indonesian tourism ministry.

According to Steven Leow, group CEO of tour operator Leisure Golf Services, 22 tournaments will take place in Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Batam, Semarang and Yogyakarta from now until January 2016.

Special 4D3N packages have been launched starting from US$470 per person.

Indonesia Woos Qatar Travellers To Visit Jakarta

The Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office is promoting Jakarta in the Middle East as a tourist destination with golf as one of the main attractions. Read more here.

Indonesia Golf Tourism In The News

This week two interesting articles on Indonesia Golf Tourism were published, related to the joint efforts of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry and the golf (travel) industry in the run up to the Asia Pacific Golf Summit to be held later this year in Jakarta.

The Jakarta Post: Indonesia wants to become major golf destination in Asia

The Diplomat: Can Indonesian Golf Sink a Hole in One?

Brunei Welcomes Indonesia's Minister of Tourism

In the run-up to the Asia Pacific Golf Summit that will be held from 11-13 December 2012 in Brunei, the attendance of Indonesia's Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy is already making headlines in their local papers:

The Brunei Times, 1 August 2012

The online version can be viewed here at: Special guest to tee off address

Media Permata, 1 August 2012

The online version can be viewed here at: Menteri Indonesia penyampai khas APGS 2012

BruDirect.com, 1 August 2012

This online only version can be viewed here at: Indonesia Tourism Minister To Speak At APGS Summit

Indonesia's Tourism Minister To Speak At Asia Pacific Golf Summit

The Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mrs. Mari Elka Pangestu has accepted an invitation to be a special VIP guest speaker at the 2012 Asia Pacific Golf Summit slated to be held in the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei Darussalam on December 11-13.

"We are very pleased to have a person of Mrs. Pangestu's standing to address the Summit this year and coming from the largest economy in Southeast Asia, is a clear indication as to the importance that Indonesia attaches to the golf industry," said Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of the Summit.

Mrs. Pangestu will deliver her address on the opening day of the Summit which will be on December 11. "It is really an honour for us to be able to play host to not only one of Indonesia's most senior ministers but also a leader who is recognised throughout the region for her ability to lead and deliver results," pointed out Sebastian.

More than 60 world-class speakers and panellists have already been confirmed to take part in APGS 2012.

Indonesia Gets Focused on Golf Tourism

If there is one country in Asia that is awakening to the game of golf and the role that it can play in promoting tourism, it has got to be the Republic of Indonesia. It has been a nation that has been flying below the international golf radar for quite a while but all of a sudden, golf has shot into the forefront of tourism promotion.

It's the big buzz word amongst stake-holders of the game in the country and the importance of golf tourism has taken a whole new meaning. It is regarded as of the "pillars of tourism" and the programme to drive Indonesia up the ladder of great golf destinations is being spearheaded by the Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mrs. Mari Elka Pangestu.

Mrs. Pangestu takes over this challenging portfolio after having has a very successful stint as the nation's Minister of Trade. In appointing her, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said, "I trust Mari Pangestu to lead the ministry and I want, in the next three years, to develop tourism and the creative economy."

Being the target-driven person that she is, Mrs. Pangestu has taken the bull by the horns and is determined to deliver the results that are expected of her. "I have drawn up a three-year master plan to develop a road map that will help us develop and grow golf tourism in the country," she emphasised.

In a discussion with the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the new tourism supremo declared, "From a base of some 20,000 golf tourists who come to Indonesia, my aim is to grow this number ten times over in the next three years". A truly bold statement that is just not political rhetoric. This is a lady who is realistic and who understands the challenges that she has to work against to achieve her goal. She has the vision and the intellect to get the job done – after all, before she ascended to a ministerial post, she was the executive director at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

"We have all of the essential ingredients for success already in place," she explained. "We have some 162 golf courses in the country and most of our courses are really wonderful – a visitor can play golf in a myriad of settings – by spectacular volcanoes, by stunning oceans capes and spell-binding rainforests". "Combined with our rich culture, the warmth of the Indonesian people and the delectable variety of exotic food, Indonesia is a veritable showcase for golf," Mrs. Pangestu pointed out. To make her point, she singled out the Jagorawi toll road, a 59-kilometre stretch of highway that is dotted with 17 world-class golf courses. "Where else in Asia can one find a lay-out like this!" After having taken her advice and driven through this thoroughfare, one must admit that Jagorawi is indeed a "highway to golfing heaven".

A keen golfer herself, Mrs. Pangestu has adopted a highly holistic plan that will involve a number of regions within the sprawling archipelago of 13466 islands to develop golf tourism. "We have Jakarta, Bali and the islands of Batam and Bintan in the Riau archipelago and we plan to improve all of the supporting infrastructure around these destinations and to transform these centres into golfing havens," the Minister said.
Given her focus, drive and determination, there is absolutely nothing that can come in the way of Mrs. Pangestu as she pushes ahead to transform the Indonesian Republic into one of Asia's top golf tourism destinations.

Tourism Ministery Outlines Plans To Grow Special Tourism Sectors

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is developing its special interest tourism portfolio, focusing on six sectors: cruise; culinary; golf and sports; spa and wellness; shopping; and diving and marine tourism.

Rizki Handayani, newly appointed marketing director of MICE and Special Interest Tourism, said: “Indonesia has all these products, with each sector having its own association and community, so we need to package and promote (the products) the right way to the right targets.”

Citing golf as an example, Rizki said Indonesia had not been successful in attracting golfers to play in the country despite having many world-class golf courses and a golf association. She plans to work with international golfing associations to promote the destination.

Rizki added that the NTO would also participate in special interest tradeshows and invite Indonesian industry players catering to these markets.

On the domestic front, her marketing division will collaborate with the product development department to create and package products to meet market demand.

Under Par

Indonesia still has a long way to go in joining the ranks of golfing tourism nations.

Tourism is a serious business: Not only is it one of the world’s fastest-growing and largest industries, it’s also a major employer and important source of foreign exchange income. In short, tourism is an important driver of economic progress, which is why governments around the world work so hard to attract tourists.

And then there is the important subsector of golf tourism. Global golf tourism is a US$20 billion business, thanks to the approximately 50 million golf tourists around the world.

So since Indonesia is home to about 160 golf courses, you’d expect that we’d be enjoying a sizeable slice of the golf tourism pie, wouldn’t you? And yet, we’re not.

In fact, according to the Asia Golf Tourism Report by Paul Myers from Asian Travel Media, Bangkok, released last October, Indonesia isn’t even getting the crumbs.

According to the report, Thailand is the regional leader in inbound golf tourism, followed by Malaysia and then China. Thailand’s position at the top is attributed to its decade-long efforts in diligently and consistently marketing its high-quality yet affordable golf offering. What’s more, golf tourism in Thailand has the support of major players in the country’s tourism industry, such as the Tourist Authority of Thailand, regional tourism promotion offices, Thai Airways and the private sector, including (golf) tour and travel operators and the hotel industry.

According to figures released by the Tourist Authority of Thailand in November, about 600,000 of the 19 million foreign tourists expected to visit the country this year will be coming to play golf. That makes Thailand the third most popular golf destination in the world. Spain, with one million golfers a year, is the world’s number one golf tourism magnet, with Britain a strong second.

And golf tourism is a lucrative segment of the industry: On average, golf tourists spend three times as much as other tourists. The typical foreign golfer spends an estimated US$3,300 on a golf trip to Thailand, which, according to Tourist Authority of Thailand forecasts, translates to a value of US$2 billion in 2012.

To grow tourist arrivals, next to perfect infrastructure and interesting and clean and well maintained tourist sites, a constant update and/or introduction of new tourist attractions is needed. In Asia, Singapore is the prime example for continuously updating its tourism product. By putting in place the Singapore Flyer, Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands, to name just a few, the island state was able to attract more than 10 million visitors in 2011.

There is less information on Malaysia, but it is estimated to attract just over 100,000 foreign golfers a year, generating annual foreign currency income of more than US$250 million. As for China, although most golfers there come from the emerging middle and upper class, diligent global marketing is attracting increasing numbers of golfers from other countries to China’s fabulous courses, especially to the renowned Mission Hills in southern China where golfers can play 12 courses in the one region.

The report also mentions golf tourism developments by other countries in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, where, in the past five years, more than 50 courses have been opened or started to be built, inbound golf tourism to Vietnam is estimated to attract about 10,000 foreign golfers a year. Even Laos is attracting thousands of golfers, despite having only four major golf resorts, whereas Cambodia, like Vietnam, has outsourced its golf tourism marketing to American-owned companies.

What About Indonesia?

And what did this new and important report on golf tourism in Asia have to say about Indonesia?

Absolutely nothing.

This may come as a surprise to those fortunate enough to be familiar with Indonesia’s fabulous world of golf and leisure. But it was no surprise to me.

After all, for many years – ever since I started Golf Promo Indonesia and www.indogolf.com in 1998 – I have unsuccessfully sought to convince stakeholders in the local golf and tourism industries to join forces to promote Indonesia to the world as a golf tourism destination. But bringing together our golf industry and our national and regional tourism promotion offices has turned out to “mission impossible”.

This is truly a wasted opportunity, when Indonesia’s golf tourism products equal or surpass those of our neighbors in so many ways.

Our golf courses and facilities are just as good as those in Thailand, Malaysia or China. We even have our own version of “Mission Hills” – Jakarta’s Jagorawi toll road gives easy access to 17 fabulous courses. Golf courses here were designed by the best in the business and are located in stunning natural settings. They are accessible, high quality and well maintained. They are managed in a highly professional manner and are ready to welcome even the most spoiled golf traveler. Most club houses are of five-star quality, and the amenities on offer are exemplary.

Then there are our caddies, who are in a class of their own: They’re pretty, friendly and, most importantly, they are very knowledgeable. What’s more, they are proficient in English and fun to be with.

What’s more, weekday golf in Indonesia is relatively inexpensive (with the exception of Bali), and a golf ztrip can be nicely combined with the riches of leisure, art and culture on offer here, all supported by the nation’s world-class hospitality industry and famous “friendly smile”.

Nevertheless, Indonesia is completely unknown as a world-class golf destination. The golf and tourism industries are missing out on a potentially highly lucrative opportunity, and it’s their own fault.

There is no real solidarity among the owners and managers of golf courses here, despite golf associations and regular meetings to discuss daily business. Rather, they are too busy competing with each other to join together to attract some of those 50 million golf tourists and, in doing so, add significant revenue to their business.

Despite having had a golfer at its helm, the tourism ministry appears to have no idea of how golf could contribute to tourism in Indonesia; this ignorance is reflected in regional tourism promotion offices such as the Jakarta Tourism Promotion Office (JTPO), which show no interest in working with local stakeholders to let the world know about Jakarta’s fabulous world of golf. To be fair, the JTPO did commission a “Road map for Indonesia golf” – but from a UK company, as if those in the Indonesian golf industry don’t have the knowledge to contribute.

It is unforgivable that Indonesia does not get a mention in the important report on golf tourism in Asia. That golf in Indonesia is a valuable tourism asset seems blindingly obvious – as does the suggestion that we should capitalize on this asset by promoting it to the world.

Now surely is the time for the main players in Indonesia’s golf and tourism industries to come together with the tourism ministry and the regional tourism boards of Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali to create a sustainable golf tourism strategy that will secure Indonesia’s position as one of Asia’s most attractive golf destinations. If not, Indonesia will continue to languish as merely a “world-class golf destination in waiting”.

(DGK)

Visit Indonesia To Promote Destinations Beyond Jakarta And Bali

Safe destination for single women travellers from India

Express TravelWorld, Januari 2012 - India is a key market for Indonesia’s inbound tourism – it is in fact one of the 10 top source markets for Indonesia. Sanjay Sondhi, country director, Visit Indonesia Tourism Office pointed out that since the outbound market is growing from India and Indians are looking for new destinations, Indonesia is therefore a natural choice as it is a new destination in South East Asia. “Indonesia has over 17,508 Islands to offer to the Indian traveller. Hence there is a potential for Indonesia to be a repeat destination for Indian tourists. There is much more beyond Bali and Jakarta and our focus will be to promote - Lombok, Yogjakarta, Surabaya and Makkasar. We are hoping for Garuda Indonesia to start direct flight from India as this will make accessibility much easier for the Indian outbound travellers,” said Sondhi. He also pointed out that single women travellers from India can confidently plan their next visit to Indonesia as it is a very safe destination for them.

Indian travellers to Indonesia have been showing a year on year growth in numbers - in 2010 as many as 145,000 Indians had travelled to Indonesia and in 2011 the number is expected to touch 160,000. Visit Indonesia Tourism Office is doubling its promotional activities in India in 2012. It is also looking at targeting cites like Ahmedabad and Kolkata besides other tier II and tier III cities like Surat, Pune, etc. “Both the countries have two factors in common- culture and friendliness, hence Indonesia is a natural draw destination for the Indian traveller,” said Sondhi.

Indonesia has been traditionally a popular destination for honeymooners from India, but now Visit Indonesia Tourism Office is very focused on promoting the country as a MICE destination and the wedding tourism segment. “We have seen a good increase in the MICE segment this year and will continue to focus on this segment. Destination weddings and special interest tours such as golf and adventure are also segments which we hope to target through various sales and marketing activities. FIT leisure segment is also a key segment for us as the destination has best of spa treatments to offer and excellent shopping experience. Family travellers are sure to have fun with numerous waterparks and theme parks available,” stated Sondhi.

Indonesia Featured on World's Stage for New Year 2012

A Two-Unit Rose Parade^® Float Celebrates Indonesia and Welcomes Visitors

PASADENA, Calif., Dec 21, 2011 - Indonesia, one of the trendy new travel destinations, will delight millions viewing the Tournament of Roses^® New Year's Rose Parade on January 2, 2012.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is promoting the incredible diversity of the world's largest archipelago. "We want the world to know that Indonesia offers something for everyone: from the finest luxury vacation spots to the most rugged eco-adventure travel," remarked Minister Mari Elka Pangestu. "The Rose Parade is seen by millions around the world. It is the perfect way to start the new year for 'Wonderful Indonesia.'"

The two-unit float features a Sumatran princess in a gesture of a traditional welcome dance, followed by a stately Garuda, the mythical bird-like creature that is Indonesia's national symbol. Indonesian dancers accompany the float.

The Sumatran princess showcases the city of Pagar Alam in South Sumatra, an eco-adventure travel destination with ancient megaliths.

While many Rose Parade floats represent various Asian cultures of the world, Indonesia's float is the only one sponsored by the nation itself.

"Indonesia is proving to be the hot new destination for U.S. tourists," said Sapta Nirwandar, Vice-Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy. "Indonesia offers everything, from award-winning golf courses and spas to marvelous cultural attractions and natural wonders. We see the sponsorship of international events as a unique opportunity to promote our islands and introduce travelers to all we have to offer."

Indonesia, with its 17,000 islands, is strategically located south of China, north of Australia and is as wide as the United States. Because of her location and geology, Indonesia is blessed with the most diverse landscape: fertile ricelands on Java and Bali, abundant rainforests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi and savannah grasslands of the Nusatenggara islands. The prehistoric giant Komodo lizard finds its home here as well as the Orangutan, Java Rhino and Sumatran Tiger, with a rich and unique flora and fauna.

Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the world. With a national motto of Unity in Diversity, it celebrates religious tolerance and women's rights, even as it is the largest Muslim country in the world (by population). It has hundreds of distinct ethnic cultures, each with their own dance, textiles, music, visual art and ceremonial traditions.

More information: www.indonesia.travel

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia promotes Wonderful Indonesia as a memorable tourist destination.

Open Letter To Minister Mari Pangestu

The Jakarta Post, 3 December 2011 - My name is Dennis G. Kloeth and I am the founder of Golf Promo Indonesia. For the past 12 years, through our website indogolf.com, Golf Promo Indonesia has been actively and globally promoting Indonesia’s fabulous world of golf and leisure, which also includes Indonesia’s hospitality and spa industry as well as its rich and diverse world of art and culture. Our website attracts more than 55,000 visitors a month.

Globally, golf tourism is a US$30 billion industry (2011 figures). In Asia, Thailand attracts roughly 200,000 foreign golfers each year, while Indonesia attracts no more than 5,000.

In Asia, Thailand is the undisputed leader, and earns more than $500 million in revenues from inbound golf tourism. Knowing all that, for the past 12 years we have attempted to create synergy and cooperation between us and the Ministry of Tourism, but these attempts have been unsuccessful so far.

Lately and ever since your appointment as Indonesia’s new minister for tourism, much has been said about boosting tourism in Indonesia and making it one of the main contributors to Indonesia’s economy.

In an article printed in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 22, 2011, on boosting tourism, it was stated that to support tourism development a total of $13.74 billion was needed. Given what we know about Thailand’s inbound golf industry, one important sector that could boost tourism (and hard currency income) could definitely be inbound golf travel to Indonesia.

Moreover, with perfect infrastructure in place, not much money has to be spent on the development of such and improving ways of getting foreign golfers to our fabulous courses.

For the past three weeks, daily and relentlessly, I have tried to contact your office in order to request an audience to discuss with you sustainable and affordable plans to promote Indonesia as one of the world’s best golf destinations.

Getting past your electronic telephone operator, however, has turned out to be utterly impossible and in the end, and after three weeks, I have had to give up. Therefore, allow me to (respectfully) approach you through this open letter.

With hard work, together we can do a lot in the coming three years. What we ask from you is to give us a chance to present to you our elaborate plans with respect to the promotion of Indonesia as the world’s next golf destination. We have clear ideas as to how to creatively and affordably promote Indonesia Golf and transparently run and manage a reasonable budget as well as preventing it from being misused.

Finally, we clearly see experts and professionals from your ministry working closely with experts from the golf and travel industry as well as from the creative publicity industry. In doing so, we surely aim at finally creating a long overdue synergy between government and private enterprise.

I am looking forward to hearing from you or from your staff in the not too distant future.

Dennis G. Kloeth
South Tangerang, Banten

Indian Golfers New Target For Indonesia Tourism Board

With improvement in air connectivity between India and Indonesia looking likely, Indonesia Tourism has decided to enhance their engagement in the India market in the coming months. According to Sapta Nirwandar, Director General - Tourism Marketing, Indonesia Tourism, the tourism board has decided to more than double their investments in the Indian market to attract more visitors to Indonesia.

When asked about their marketing strategies, Nirwandar said that they will be employing a “horizontal approach” rather than a “vertical approach.” He said that the promotional activities will be targeted at their target segments such as Wedding, Adventure Sports, Golf and Honeymooners, rather than big budget advertising in international media.

“India is one of the top 10 source markets for Indonesia, but the inbound figures are still low compared to the potential of the market,” stated Nirwandar. About 142,000 Indians visited Indonesia in 2010. The tourism board has set a target of 160,000 arrivals from India this year.

He said that the new air agreement signed between the two countries enables Indian and Indonesian carriers to ply to four cities in each other’s countries. He hoped for some airline companies to come forward and offer increased connectivity between the two countries. He said that there were talks going on between Indonesia’s national carrier Garuda and Jet Airways for some code sharing partnerships for destinations like Jakarta and Bali. Although there is no direct connectivity, Nirwandar said that Thai Airways, Malaysian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, etc. offer good connectivity to some of the important Indonesian cities.

Speaking about Indonesia’s tourism offerings, the Director General said that Indonesia has a lot of attractions beyond Jakarta and Bali, the two most popular and visited destinations by Indian travelers. “Indonesia is truly a value for money destination for Indian travelers not just because of its unique nature, culture, food and hospitable people, but also the strong exchange value of the Indian Rupee compared to Indonesian Rupiah,” he added.