In a bid to attract more Chinese tourists, the Tourism Ministry of Indonesia conducted a series of sales mission events from April 16-19 in major Chinese cities Nanning, Shenzen and Guangzhou.

 

Ten representatives from Indonesia participated in the event, which included tour and dive operators, island-hopping liveaboards and Garuda Indonesia, where they introduced products and tour packages to buyers from China.

 

“China is a strategic market where we’ll continue to penetrate,” said Vinsensius Jemadu, the ministry's assistant undersecretary for marketing development II regional I, in a press release. “As it is has huge potential, we must maintain it because other countries are also targeting the same market.”

 

Vinsensius added that the sales mission served as a platform to build awareness among Chinese travelers. “It aims to promote Indonesia as a destination that must be visited by Chinese tourists. We’ll also hold a media gathering, distribute materials as well as souvenirs and present art performances,” Vinsensius said.

 

Chinese tourists have long been the main target of Indonesian tourism. Last year, more than 1.9 million of its citizens visited Indonesia, an increase of 35.75 percent from 2016. Bali still serves as their favorite destination with 1.3 million Chinese tourists visiting the island.

 

“Our target in China is huge this year, which is 3 million tourists, as we seek to reach the global target of attracting 17 million foreign tourists in 2018,” Vinsensius said. “To maintain this momentum, we will conduct regular sales events. The ministry will also host a presentation on charter flight packages in Shenzen, especially for Batam and Bintan, which is part of an effort to lure Chinese tourists to other destinations.” (wir/kes)