Industry stalwart Budi Tirtawisata helms the steering committee for the Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Fair. Photo Credit: Rin Hindryati
Indonesia is set to host its first international B2B tourism event with the inaugural Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Fair (WITF),
taking place in Jakarta from 2-4 October 2024. Positioned to become an
annual fixture, WITF 2024 will be held at Swissotel Jakarta PIK Avenue.
The venue choice is strategic, given the hotel’s location in Pantai
Indah Kapuk (PIK), an up-and-coming tourist destination. Known as the
new Jakarta city, PIK offers easy access from Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport, and is home to extensive businesses,
entertainment, and event facilities, explained Budi Tirtawisata, chair
of Steering Committee WITF 2024.
WITF 2024 is organised in partnership with the Southeast Asia
Business Event Forum (SEABEFF), a government-sponsored international
conference focusing on MICE. While WITF serves as a B2B travel
tradeshow, SEABEFF is positioned as a MICE conference, offering insights
into industry trends and outlooks, according to AB Sadewa, committee
member of WITF 2024.
What’s driving the WITF launch?
The idea to have a homegrown show the likes of international tourism
trade fairs like ITB Berlin or WTM London came up last year when both
government and tourism business players met at the ASEAN Tourism Forum
in Yogyakarta.
The idea for WITF was born out of a shared vision between the government and tourism industry players.
"The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MOTCE) shared a dream
and wondered why we couldn't have an event of that calibre," Budi told
Travel Weekly in an exclusive interview.
“This idea resonated strongly with industry players who had long
discussed the need for an international-scale event in Indonesia,” added
Budi, who is also the CEO of Panorama Group and the deputy chairman of
the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI).
WITF 2024 is entirely self-funded and owned by GIPI, with support and
endorsement from MOTCE. A committee comprising nine members – all of
whom are industry veterans including ASTINDO chair Pauline Suharno – will invite tourism players to collaborate for WITF with the aim of bringing in more visitors to Indonesia.
The event leverages GIPI's network of 36 tourism industry
associations, including tour operators, hotels, restaurants, airlines,
and local-level tourism ministries.
Showcasing Indonesia’s diversity
With growing visitor interest to Indonesia, WITF 2024 aims to bring
tour operators and let them witness first-hand what they can sell back
in their countries.
“The idea is to advance inbound tourism in Indonesia. We want to
bring in as many guests as possible from abroad to the country,” Budi
added.
WITF 2024 aims to broaden the perception of Indonesia as a tourist
destination. The event will feature tour operators from across the
archipelago, highlighting attractions in North Sumatra, West Sumatra,
South Sumatra, Lampung, Bangka-Belitung, and beyond. “Indonesia is not
only Bali,” added Budi.
The committee is targeting 150 to 200 buyers from all over the world
to attend WITF. Of the total buyers, Asia is expected to make up the
majority, 20% from Europe, and the rest from Middle East, Australia, and
the US.
Buyers from Vietnam, Poland, Bulgaria, and Uzbekistan have already confirmed to attend the event, said Budi.
WITF 2024 has also invited leading companies in Indonesia including
automaker PT Astra International, Coca Cola Euro Pacific, heavy
equipment company United Tractors, and insurance companies as potential
buyers for MICE market.
The committee is in discussions with global and regional carriers
such as Emirates, Turkish Air, Qatar, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon
Airways, and Japan Airlines. Garuda Indonesia, the national flag
carrier, has already confirmed its support.
Source: Travel Weekly Asia