Indonesia identifies event support as top decision influencer among Singapore planners

Lake Toba (pictured)

Results of a Policy and Destination Update poll, shared at last week’s Wonderful Indonesia Sales Mission to Singapore, show the top inducement needed to attract business events from Singapore post-lockdown is a marketing fund and incentive scheme.

According to Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy, Sandiaga Uno, who led the delegation, the need for such a scheme received 25 per cent of the votes, closely followed by fam trips at 23.8 per cent.

Lake Toba (pictured) has been classified as a Super-Priority Tourist destination

Discount vouchers at 20.1 per cent was third, free quarantine at 17.1 per cent was fourth, while free PCR tests at 14 per cent was in fifth place.

According to Aris Latiff, marketing and PR manager, Wonderful Indonesia, based in Singapore, the results came from a poll of some 100 members of the industry who registered to attend the May 31 sales mission.

Singapore poll participants included representatives from airlines, hotels, companies, online and offline travel agents, PCOs, event organisers, cruise and ferry operators and the media.

“The aim was to show the level of interest and proof of Singapore as a viable market to invest marketing dollars in,” said Aris.

While Wonderful Indonesia has yet to announce new strategies borne out of the poll findings, the recent sales mission highlighted the destination’s accessibility to travellers, Covid-safe conditions, and “green” experiences for corporate groups.

With effect from May 30, 2022, PCR testing has been dropped for international travellers entering Indonesia, where Riau islands, Bali and Jakarta are the top choices among Singaporeans, the minister pointed out.

Curated programmes in places like Bali and Lake Toba now offer “green” options, while more “serenity, spirituality and sustainability” products are available for corporate groups, he added.

Indonesia is also highlighting five Super-Priority Tourist destinations to revive the industry. These include Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, and Likupang in North Sulawesi.

According to Wiku Adisasmito, a coordinator on the National Covid-19 Task Force, the highest vaccination coverage is in Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta, the Riau Islands and East Kalimantan. This would help provide event organisers with a greater peace of mind when sending groups to these locations.

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