Sydney, March 21, 2024 - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf) in collaboration with Australian airline Qantas Airways, through the Directorate of Regional Tourism Marketing I, aims to promote the Wonderful Indonesia tourism brand during the "Qantas - Best of Asia Day" event held at Qantas Campus Sydney, Australia, on March 12, 2024.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, in his statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (March 20, 2024), said that this collaboration is a great opportunity for Indonesia to solidify itself as the number one tourist destination for the Australian people.
Furthermore, Minister Sandiaga stated that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recorded approximately 1.37 million Australian citizens visiting Indonesia in 2023. Meanwhile, 1.26 million chose to travel to New Zealand. This indicates that Indonesia has risen in rank as the main tourist destination for Australia for the first time in 50 years.
The target number of Australian tourists set for 2024 is around 1.3 million visitors. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential to introduce new destinations to the Australian public so that they can stay longer, spend more, and support sustainable tourism growth in Indonesia. This statement was made by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno.
Indonesia's participation in the "Qantas - Best of Asia Day" was manifested through promotional activities for Super Priority Destinations around Bali, specifically Yogyakarta, Lombok, and Labuan Bajo, with Bali as the connecting point. The focus on these three destinations was based on Australian market interests, proximity to Bali, accessibility, and the attractions available in these destinations.
During the "Qantas - Best of Asia Day" event, Indonesia was present in three main segments: the Morning Tea Session where Indonesia was the main sponsor, as well as the Presentation and Expo sessions. Approximately 150 Qantas and JetStar agents attended the event. Other countries participating in the event included Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and India.
According to Menparekraf Sandiaga, this is a great opportunity for Indonesia to promote its uniqueness and beauty to agents in Australia. By participating in this event alongside our competitor countries, we must not waste this opportunity.
R. Wisnu Sindhutrisno, the Director of Tourism Marketing for Asia-Pacific at Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf, added that the connectivity between Indonesia and Australia is served by various airlines from both countries, including cities like Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney. Indonesia's national airline, Garuda Indonesia, also operates non-stop flights from Melbourne and Sydney to Denpasar and Jakarta.
"We are pleased that Qantas is already serving direct flights to Bali. However, we still encourage Qantas to open new routes to other cities in Indonesia or collaborate with Indonesian airlines in terms of operational cooperation to reach destinations beyond Bali. This way, the Australian community can visit more beautiful destinations in Indonesia," said Wisnu.
Representing Indonesia at the event was Miriam Tulevski, the founder of Indo Insider Tour, who has been actively promoting Indonesia to the Australian community.