With the new digital platform, Indonesia’s tourism authorities hope to position the country in a more appealing light for MICE professionals. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Aleksandar Todorovic
The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoCTE) has
announced plans to launch a digital platform alongside the Southeast
Asia Business Event Forum (SEA BEF), which will slated to take place in
Jakarta this October. This move aligns with the government's goal to
digitize and catalog all MICE-related data.
“As the government platform, transaction or payment feature will not
be included in [the MICE Platform]. If there are Look, Book, and Payment
or LBP, [the MICE Platform] will serve the L and B only,” said
Vinsensius Jemadu, the ministry’s Director of Tourism Product and Event
Organization, over a zoom interview.
Vinsensius Jemadu, MOCTE’s director of tourism products and event
organization, clarified during a Zoom interview that the platform,
termed the MICE Platform, will serve as a comprehensive information hub,
focusing solely on Look and Book functionalities. Any subsequent
transactions will be directed to the respective payment gateways of
industry players.
Features that will be available include tools for digital
registration, pre-scheduled appointments, articles, and information that
can be accessed free of charge. In this way, the platform can offer as
much information as possible to MICE stakeholders.
Jemadu added that the platform is currently focused on growing its
venue and meeting room databases and will be expected to expedite
coordination and collaboration amongst domestic and international
stakeholders. In short, it will become the go-to source of all
information pertaining to Indonesia’s MICE industry.
Indonesia “more than enough” for future MICE offerings
Hariyadi Sukamdani, chairman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants
Association and CEO of the five-star Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, has
expressed support for the new platform, sharing: “Indonesia’s MICE
industry is potentially good as growth remains steady at between five to
10%.”
However, he noted that there is room for expanding the market share
of the MICE industry. Currently, a significant portion of clients are
government institutions, accounting for “40% of total market shares
nationwide”..On a regional level, Sukamdani said, this figure can reach
up to 70%.
According to data from Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the
archipelago boasts over 3,000 hotels – more than sufficient to
accommodate MICE events, Sukamdani emphasised. In essence, Indonesia is
well-prepared to host a wide array of MICE events, ranging from upscale
exhibitions to local and international gatherings.
Presently, property giant Agung Sedayu Group is in the process of
developing what is poised to be Indonesia’s largest MICE venue – the
Nusantara International Convention Exhibition (NICE). Spanning
approximately 200,000sqm, NICE will comprise a three-storey building
featuring two convention halls, 11 exhibition halls, and 47 meeting
rooms. Completion is projected for early 2025.