THE recent terrorist bombing in Jakarta appears to have marginal impact on business travel sentiments to Indonesia, going by the muted reaction of international buyers at ATF 2016 to the tragic event.
S Rajan, president & CEO of US-based Air Safety Equipment, sees no impact on his company’s business travel to Jakarta. “We are organising a Boeing aircraft equipment product launch in Jakarta in September 2016 and there have not been any concern from participants regarding their safety and well-being in the destination.”
Likewise, Muhamad Zaki, president of RZ Travels US, has not received any cancellations. “Terrorism does not stop people from travelling,” he said. “Our clients still travel as we all realise that there are risks everywhere you go.”
Iris Bloedorn-Millotou of Sunhotels Group and Incentive Travel Spain concurred: “I think nowadays people realise (terrorism) could happen anywhere. People do not want to be intimidated.”
Tama Tour Indonesia, however, has received concerned enquiries from a 1,500-pax incentive group from the US intending to visit Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung and Bali in the coming months.
He said: “We will have to tell them what the ground situation is because they are feeling very uncertain.”
There could be broader implications on long-term travel demand for the region, as Jay Serrano, general manager of US-based JJB Travel, foresees a 20 per cent decline in travel demand to Indonesia and South-east Asia.
Malaysia’s IMR Group director, BP Tan, said: “There used to be more concern about the crime and accident rate when we conduct a risk assessment about a country, but now we have to also take into consideration terrorism.”
Read more ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2016 stories in the digital edition of our Show Dailies here.
Additional reporting by S Puvaneswary and Paige Lee Pei Qi.
