The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (MoTCE) hosts a Familiarization Trip (Famtrip) for influencers from India to attract more tourists from the country.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, in his statement in Jakarta, Saturday (6/6/2022) explained that this activity is part of a promotional campaign to stimulate tourism in the country. “In addition, this activity is also expected to make Indonesia a top of mind for tourists from India,” he said.

Meanwhile, Acting Director of Tourism Marketing for Regional I, Agustini Rahayu added, the famtrip was held from August 4 to 10, 2022 with eight opinion makers consisting of four celebrities/influencers and four crew members as famtrip participants.

“MoTCE together with the Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer (VITO) New Delhi and Mumbai brought in these influencers, as an effort to increase tourist visits from India to Indonesia. Indian tourists are promising, the market is there, then the destination is well prepared,” he said.

Indian tourists have been the focus of the market since 2016. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, India was one of the markets that had the highest increase in the number of tourists every year. In 2016, the total Indian tourists reached 353,444 people. This number continued to increase in 2017 and 2018, reaching 657,300 people in 2019.

The famtrip participants, said Agustini Rahayu, will visit several destinations from Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali with the key points being promoted, namely Food, Culture, Wellness, and Honeymoon Destination. This activity is part of the #ItsTimeforBali promotional campaign and is expected to keep Bali as a top of mind tourism destination.

“This effort also introduces other Indonesian tourism potentials for tourists from India. Besides Bali, the participants will also explore Jakarta and Yogyakarta,” he said.

While in Jakarta, influencers will be offered urban-based tours that are synonymous with modern business and shopping centers, while Yogyakarta offers cultural and natural tourism as attractions.

The photos and videos produced by the Famtrip participants will not only be published by them but will also be used as one of the promotional materials in a Joint Promotion activity for the Indian market which is planned to be held in September 2022.

This Famtrip was a form of collaboration between the MoTCE with various partners including Wonderful Indonesia co-branding partners, like AirAsia, Desa Potato Head, Plataran Borobudur, Caspla Cruise, Secret Garden Village, and Finns. “They genuinely supported this Famtrip activity because they feel it can be an effective collaborative effort to increase awareness, which ultimately influences the decision to choose Indonesian destinations as their tourist destinations,” said Agustini Rahayu