Bintan Resorts, which has traditionally relied on Singapore and its hub status for arrivals, is now playing up its beach destinations and ability to host large family and corporate groups to attract more travellers from Indonesia’s domestic market.
This was revealed at a sales mission that Bintan Resorts organised last Friday, which marked the start of the company’s major marketing activities this year across six cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Batam and Medan). A new destination video showcasing the best of Bintan Island was also unveiled.
Donny Tan, manager marketing, Bintan Resorts International, said: “We realised that Indonesians enjoy beach resorts now. Ten years ago, we did not see Indonesians travelling to places like Raja Ampat or Belitung. Now, they go to these places. We have a big market here at home, so why not tap into it?”
Tan believes that with latest developments such as the Crystal Lagoon – the biggest recreational seawater body in South-east Asia – Bintan has much to offer to the domestic market.
Other new attractions that opened in 1Q2018 include Rumah Imaji, a trick-eye museum with more than 50 optical illusions of the Riau Islands’ culture and heritage; and Food Gram, a F&B outlet in Plaza Lagoi shopping centre.
As for Tom Panggabean, sales manager of Banyan Tree Angsana and Cassia, the Indonesian market, mainly the corporate sector, makes up around five per cent for the resort. “We are now opening ourselves to the leisure, family and FIT markets, too, apart from growing our existing corporate market,” he said.
“We believe that our new Cassia Bintan, which has a serviced apartment concept, suits the Indonesian market well,” he added. “They like to travel together (with friends or families) and share a room, enjoy cooking their own meals, and it is the most affordable (compared to Laguna Bintan’s Banyan Tree and Angsana).”
Dylis Low, sales manager of Treasure Bay Bintan, which also participated at the Bintan Resorts sales missions, shared that current Indonesian visitors to Bintan mainly hail from nearby Tanjung Pinang and Batam, and they head to the island for attractions such as The Chill Cove @ Treasure Bay Bintan and Crystal Lagoon on the weekends.
“However, we want to grab the markets from other cities in Indonesia like Jakarta. The resort has ongoing marketing campaigns to reach out to the Indonesian corporate groups, families and adult travellers,” Low added.
