A Message from Panorama Destination Indonesia
Warm greetings from Indonesia!
March is always a great time of year in Indonesia, as we begin the build-up for a busy summer holiday season. Coming up in the calendar this month, we have Nyepi (the Balinese Day of Silence) on 11 March, which this year coincides with the fasting month of Ramadan, observed by Muslims throughout Indonesia. Returning to Bali, the new Tourism Levy came into effect on 14 February. All international visitors will need to pay IDR 150,000 (approx. US$10) upon arrival.
Speaking of arrivals, Panorama Destination Indonesia will be flying into Germany later this week, where we’ll be taking part in ITB Berlin 2024 from 5-7 March. This will be a great platform for us to share some of our top products with visitors, with special focus on Sumatra, Java, Bali and Komodo as ideal destinations for the upcoming summer holidays. Our Wake Up in Bali and Overland in Java programmes, along with several offerings from Sumatra, are well worth a look. If you’re visiting ITB Berlin, we look forward to sharing them with you.
February was a busy month for Panorama Destination Indonesia, with a similar number of total pax handled compared to the same period last year. This shows we’re still very much on the right track, while also giving us optimism that we can go even further and surpass last year’s achievements. It’s still early days, by the signs are good that 2024 will be even bigger and better than 2023!
As you may know, our goals for this year are not just about the quantity of clients, but also the quality of the experience they can enjoy while travelling with us. A big part of this mission is our commitment to sustainability. And we’ve taken another big step forward in that regard recently, with socialization of our carbon calculator for all packages and products. Combined with our recent training on quotations using Tour Plan, our team is ready to take your bookings and provide your clients with fun and eco-friendly travel experiences.
If you have any questions or special requirements, our team will be happy to assist you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
Ricky Setiawanto,
Director of Business Development, Panorama Destination Indonesia.
Destination digest: Indonesia news in brief
A few bitesize news stories and tourism developments making the headlines in Indonesia in recent weeks:
Hope and robust prospects’ for tourism
A glance at foreign tourist visits in 2023 has revealed hope and robust prospects for Indonesian tourism in 2024. Surpassing the 8.5 million target, the nation welcomed 9.49 million foreign tourists, an encouraging feat amid the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indonesian government has rolled out a suite of national economic strengthening and recovery initiatives, recognising the pivotal role of tourism as a key contributor to foreign exchange earnings and regional revenue.
(source: Universitas Gadjah Mada)
New tourist tax takes effect in Bali
The Bali Provincial Government has decided to introduce an international tourism tax that will require foreign tourists to pay a one-time fee of Rp150,000, or about US$10, in addition to the visa fee, when entering the island. The tax policy started on 14 February 2024. Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, the chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI) of the Bali Chapter, said the levy was regulated by the law for the preservation of culture and the environment.
(source: Tempo)
Indonesia bolsters tourism ties with Australia
Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno recently embarked on a visit to Australia to bolster bilateral cooperation in the tourism and creative economy sectors in an effort to boost foreign tourist visits to the archipelago. Part of his agenda is to meet with local tourism and creative economy players. “We are working with the Australian tourism and creative industries, including the Flight Centre to increase foreign tourist visits from Australia,” he said in an official statement on Tuesday, 20 February.
(source: Tempo)
Tourism minister targets US market in 2024
The Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno has targeted 406,470 foreign tourists from the U.S. this year. He said that the number of foreign tourists post-COVID-19 pandemic is recovering, but has yet to reach initial pre-pandemic data. “In 2024, the target of US visitors is to increase by 226 percent compared to 2023 from 124,700 to 406,470 visitors,” he said in a written statement on Tuesday, 30 January. The realization of US visitors in 2023 has surpassed its target, the minister said. As of November 2023, US tourists in Indonesia amounted to 358,769 visits.
(source: Tempo)
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