The 10th ITB-Asia Travel Mart in Singapore closed with a spectacular 77% growth from its inaugural edition. There were a record 22,000 business appointments captured and of those Indonesia, and its award winning "Wonderful Indonesia" campaign, netted almost 2,300 resulting in potential transactions worth over USD 25 million.

But the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism isn't resting on its laurels when it comes to spreading the message, raising hopes that the country will meet its 2017 visitor arrival targets ahead of schedule and roll the momentum through to 2018.

At a glance:

• At the ITB-Asia Travel Mart, the ‘Wonderful Indonesia’ campaign resulted in potential transactions worth over USD 25 million
• The uniqueness of Indonesia’s tourist destinations and legendary stories have been promoted in Bangkok and Kunming
• The Chinese market accounted for 12 percent of foreign tourists who visited Indonesia last year
• Indonesian delegation presented traditional and cultural attractions, national foods and beverages, specifically geared to promoting the "10 New Bali's" across the archipelago

More international events were held in Bangkok and China last weekend (November 17-19). Travel Daily News Asia reported the Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Embassy of Indonesia in Bangkok, and regional tourism offices from Banten, Jakarta, and West Sulawesi had a "seduce the Land of the White Elephant festival in Central World Square. The theme of 'The Never Ending Story of Magical Land and Legends' presented the uniqueness of Indonesia’s tourist destinations along with its legendary stories."

“This event is presented not only for Thais but also for many other tourists who visit Thailand. Basically, we encourage everyone to come to "Wonderful Indonesia Festival in Central World Bangkok,” said Deputy for International Marketing, I Gde Pitana.

At the same time, Indonesia also sent a mission to take part in CITM 2017 (the China International Travel Mart) being held in Kunming, China's southern province of Yunnan.

The number of visitors from China has been on the rise in the last few years. Xinhua.Net recently reported that the Chinese market accounted for 12 percent of foreign tourists that visited Indonesia last year, up from 11 percent a year earlier, making China the second largest tourism market for Indonesia after Singapore.

In real numbers, this translates to more than 1.6 million Chinese in the first nine months of 2017, almost 46% higher than the same period in 2016.

According to Xinhua.Net the Indonesia mission to CITM consisted of 40 tourism-related businesses including representatives of hotels, travel agents, cruise liners and scuba divers as well as representatives of 11 provinces promoting destinations in their respective regions over the three-day event.

As at ITB-Asia, the Indonesian delegation used the traditional Phinisi ship theme to showcase various traditional and cultural attractions, national foods and beverages, specifically geared to promoting the "10 New Bali's" across the archipelago. 

CITM was also an ideal opportunity to promote the 2018 Asian Games, which will be hosted in Jakarta and Palembang next year.

All of this exposure and subsequent growth in tourist arrivals to Indonesia bodes well for many businesses beyond those that traditionally benefit directly from tourists, such as hotels and restaurants. There are opportunities for investments in a range of ancillary services and initiatives, particularly those that tap into the growing 'experiential tourism' and eco-friendly markets. 

Sources: Xinhua News, Travel Daily News Asia, ITB-Asia

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