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Tag: travel

  • Garuda targeting Rp386 billion transactions during travel fair

    Garuda targeting Rp386 billion transactions during travel fair

    PT Garuda Indonesia is targeting transactions of up to Rp386 billion in ticket sales during the Garuda Travel Fair (GATF) Phase II in 2016, to be held in 18 cities in Indonesia.

    Commercial Director of Garuda Indonesia A. Toni Soetirto said at a press conference here on Thursday that for Jakarta alone, the company targets sales transactions amounting to Rp225 billion and 80 thousand visitors.

    “The implementation of GATFs second phase provides an opportunity for service users to receive attractive offers,” he stated.

    In addition, he targeted a 3 to 4 percent increase in occupancy rate (load factor) compared with the off-season or low season.

    “In the third quarter, the interest of the public is higher,” he remarked.

    The overall target for transactions, he added, was higher than that of GATF Phase I, which raised Rp350 billion, and in Jakarta alone raised Rp179 billion, with 69 thousand visitors.

    Soetirto said GATF Phase II will be held in 18 major cities: Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, Lampung, Palembang, Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Lombok, Kupang, Balikpapan, Makassar, Manado, Ambon, Timika, and Jayapura.

    “Through this travel fair, the customers get the best prices and attractive packages,” he stated.

    Soetirto said Garuda Indonesia is also working with its subsidiary, Citilink Indonesia, as well as a number of travel agents to participate in the exhibition being held at the Jakarta Convention Center for three days from October 7 to 9.

    For the seventh time, Garuda will collaborate with Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) as its bank partner in organizing the exhibition.

    On the same occasion, Director of Consumer Banking BNI Anggoro Eko Cahyo said BNI would offer a variety of promotions and convenient services for customers at the exhibition.

    Among them, BNI credit card holders will receive 600 cashback tickets per day with a value up to Rp1 million, while the banks debit card holders will have a similar offer.

    “We appreciate Garuda Indonesias invitation to partner with them again and share profits, values, and so on,” Cahyo noted.

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  • July Sees Record-high Tourist Arrivals to Indonesia

    July Sees Record-high Tourist Arrivals to Indonesia

    The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded 1.03 million foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia in July 2016. The number represents a 17.67-percent year-on-year increase from July 2015.

    Compared to June 2016, the increase is 20.42 percent.

    “This is a new record, with the number foreigners entering Indonesia reaching more than a million in one month,” BPS deputy for Statistic and Distribution Sasmito Hadi Wibowo said in Jakarta Thursday, September 1.

    The achievement, he said, is largely thanks to the Tourism Ministry’s intensive campaigns in many parts of the world and the many promotional events held in domestic travel destinations.

    Sasmito said the biggest number of tourists came from China, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

  • Direct India-Indonesia flights necessary to attract more Indian tourists

    Direct India-Indonesia flights necessary to attract more Indian tourists

    The Indonesian Tourism Ministry believes that direct flight from and to India could increase the number of Indian tourist arrivals in Indonesia.

    “The main challenge is direct flights as the existing ones are just transit flights from and to India,” Dody Prianto, assistant deputy director of the Tourism Ministry, noted here.

    Prianto was in Kolkata, India, for a roadshow to promote “Wonderful Indonesia,” the tourism brand of the country, at a hotel in the city, with the objective of attracting more tourists from India.

    He hoped airlines, such as Garuda Indonesia, would be interested in operating direct flights between India and Indonesia.

    To draw more Indian tourists to Indonesia, the ministry is intensifying tourism promotion to introduce other tourist destinations apart from Bali.

    He mentioned Sumatra as one of the interesting places for Indian tourists to visit as it is located near Singapore, and its culinary dishes bear similarities to those in Indonesia.

    The Tourism Ministry has set a target of attracting at least 350 thousand Indian tourists this year.

    “The target is quite high, but we are optimistic that it can be achieved,” Prianto stated.

    During the first semester of this year, a total of 185,911 Indian tourists had visited Indonesia, he said on the sidelines of a sales million event.

  • Tourism provides largest number of jobs

    Tourism provides largest number of jobs

    President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that the tourism industry is the number one provider of jobs.

    “Tourism has employed the largest number of manpower, but indeed it needs a change of the communitys culture,” President Jokowi said before prominent community figures living in Lake Toba area, here, Saturday evening.

    A change is needed because basically the community should be able to serve tourists coming to their region.

    “I hope prominent community, religious, and custom figures could give guidance to the community,” the Head of State said.

    Lake Toba which has been known internationally, has huge tourism potential.

    “However, over the past several years, its image and branding as a tourist area has dropped. Therefore, we work on Lake Toba first, among 10 destinations designated by a presidential decree,” he said.

    Lake Toba area is being promoted as an eco-tourism destination and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism to be developed on 600 ha plot of land in the authority zone.

    The local culture and traditions will be strengthened and promoted as tourist attractions.

    To support the development of Lake Toba as a main tourist destination, the capacity of Silangit Airport will be expanded.

    “I have ordered the transportation minister and Angkasa Pura (state airport operator) to widen and lengthen the runway. I have asked for demolition of its terminal within a week, and the new one should be ready in the end of this year,” he said.

    The president also asked Garuda Indonesia to fly to Silangit Airport thrice a week, whether it is empty or full.

    “We will be grateful if it is full of passengers, so the flights could be served daily, not only by Garuda but also others such as Sriwijaya and Wing Air,” he noted.

    Initially, Silangit Airports capacity would be expanded to 150 thousand passengers, but now it would be increased further to 180 thousand passengers per year.

    The government will also create a world-class flower park to support the Lake Toba tourism.

    Jokowi also urged villagers living around Lake Toba area to plant trees for the preservation of the environment.

    “I just planted trees. The target is 300 thousand trees per district, or one million per year for all districts. We dont want the water of Lake Toba to decrease due to environmental degradation,” he said.

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  • Indonesian airlines have been cleared to begin flying to the US

    Indonesian airlines have been cleared to begin flying to the US

    Indonesian airlines have been cleared to begin flying to the US, after a safety review by regulators.

    The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Indonesia had been upgraded to “Category 1” – the top-tier air-safety rating – after nearly a decade.

    Indonesia’s fast-growing aviation market suffered several high-profile accidents and was downgraded in 2007.

    The European Union also recently lifted a ban on three Indonesian airlines.

    After a safety review in March, Indonesia now complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards, the FAA said in a statement.

    “With the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating, Indonesian air carriers…can establish service to the United States and carry the code of US carriers,” the FAA said.

    The South-east Asian nation has had 13 fatal plane crashes in the past decade, according to Flightglobal data, higher than the global average.

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  • Citilink to Open New Hong Kong-Manado Route

    Citilink to Open New Hong Kong-Manado Route

    Citilink, the low-cost arm of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, is set to open a new route from Hong Kong to Manado in North Sulawesi in a bid to lure Chinese tourists to the archipelago.

    Citilink Indonesia commercial president director Hans Nugroho said Manado was one of Indonesia’s most popular destinations among Chinese tourists besides Bali and Raja Ampat in West Papua.

    “Manado has become famous as a diving destination. Hopefully the new route will afford foreign tourists easier access to Indonesia,” said Hans.

    Using an Airbus A320 for its maiden flight on the new route, Citilink is slated to carry 180 tourists from Hong Kong to Manado on Tuesday. Hans estimated that the carrier would be able to accommodate up to 3,000 passengers until the end of August.

    According to Tourism Ministry data, the number of foreign visitors to Indonesia reached 915,200 in May, 12.6 percent of whom came from China.

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  • Over six million tourists visit Indonesia

    Over six million tourists visit Indonesia

    Some six million foreign tourists visited Indonesia since the issuance of presidential regulation number 21 of 2016 concerning visa-free facilities for foreign citizens from 169 countries, an official said.

    While 4,095,264 tourists came from 15 countries which have reciprocal agreements with Indonesia, 2,881,945 tourists came from 144 countries without any such pact with Indonesia, chief of the public relations services of the directorate general of immigration, Heru Santoso, elaborated at a meeting with journalists here on Friday.

    “Admittedly, the figure is still far from the government-set target of 20 million tourists per year, but I believe it will further increase in the future,” he stated.

    He noted that no tourists visited from 10 countries in this list of 169 countries. These ten countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Czech Republic, Gabon, Haiti, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Lesotho, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia.

    “I think the promotion campaign still needs to be intensified,” he added.

    The directorate general of immigration also handled 135 criminal cases (pro justitia) in the first half of 2016, he said, adding at least three foreign nationals were involved in the cases.

    “They committed immigration related crimes. In 2015, five foreign nationals were involved in such cases,” he informed.

    The office also recorded 4,715 cases of immigration administration violation in the January-June 2016 period. The cases involved 117 citizens from countries eligible for visa-free facilities, he disclosed.

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  • Garuda Indonesia Raking It In During Idul Fitri Holiday

    Garuda Indonesia Raking It In During Idul Fitri Holiday

    Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia filled more seats on its domestic flights during the Lebaran exodus this year, as more people chose air travel to return to their hometown for Idul Fitri.

    The state-controlled airline’s average load factor — which indicates how much an airline makes use of its seat capacity — went up to 74 percent from June 24 to July 5, a day before Idul Fitri, on all of its domestic routes, Benny S. Butarbutar, Garuda Indonesia’s vice president of corporate communication, said on Saturday (09/07).

    Benny did not give a figure for last year’s Idul Fitri holiday.

    Still, the latest figure could mark a turnaround for Garuda. The full-service airline had seen its load factor dip to 69 percent in the first three months of this year, compared to 74 percent in the same period last year, as weak economic growth forced cost-conscious travelers to opt out of the airline’s services.

    Garuda added 32,000 more seats on 132 extra flights, 112 of which are on international routes, between June 24 to July 17 to cater for Indonesians during the annual Lebaran exodus, Benny said.

    “This represents a 35 percent increase in our extra capacity from the same period last year,” Benny said.

    The National Police estimated 17.6 million people made the travel back to their hometown during the Lebaran exodus this year. Ouf of that figure, 4.6 million chose air travel, up 7.6 percent from a year ago as people’s purchasing power has increased and local airlines offer new fleets and routes.

    Air travelers met with relatively few problems during this year’s Lebaran exodus compared to their peers taking land routes, who were met by hellish traffic jams on toll roads across Java.

  • Ngurah Rai Airport offers additional flights for Lebaran holidaymakers

    Ngurah Rai Airport offers additional flights for Lebaran holidaymakers

    Some airline companies at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali have started offering additional flights to handle the influx of passengers during the post-fasting Lebaran holidays.

    PT Angkasa Pura-I General Manager Trikora Harjo explained here on Tuesday that the additional flights were provided for international arrivals and departures.

    Harjo revealed that a total of 419 passengers had used additional flights for international arrivals and departures on Tuesday.

    Similar to the long Lebarang holidays in previous years, the flow of passengers at the Ngurah Rai Airport is different compared to that in other regions of Indonesia.

    The Ngurah Rai Airport is always dominated by an influx of both local and foreign tourists keen on spending the long holidays of Lebaran.

    Harjo stated that the number of departures last year had reached 119,937, while this year, it was forecast to reach 151,548.

    Referring to the growth in the percentage of domestic passengers, Harjo has estimated that the flow of departing passengers will peak during the period between six and five days before Eid.

    On June 30, six days before Eid, the number of domestic passengers departing from the Ngurah Rai Airport had reached 15,026 aboard 112 aircraft. This figure indicated a 128 percent increase compared to the previous year.

    As of July 1, five days prior to Eid, the number of domestic passengers departing from Bali was recorded at 15,771, a 105 percent rise from the year before.

    The increase in the percentage of domestic passengers was anticipated as the last working day for both public and private institutions fell on Friday, July 1.

    In this way, the travelers opted to return to their hometowns on the same day as they would get to spend more time there.

    The Ngurah Rai International Airport served 226 additional flights, proposed by seven airlines for both domestic and international routes.

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  • Indonesia ranked 2nd in top destinations for Muslims

    Indonesia ranked 2nd in top destinations for Muslims

    Indonesia has been ranked second in the list of “Top 20 Destinations for Muslim Travelers in Ramadan 2016,” in the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Ramadan Travel Report.

    The deputy for overseas tourism marketing of the Ministry of Tourism, I Gde Pitana on Monday hailed the achievement which showed that Indonesia has become a more favorite destination for Muslim travelers.

    In the survey carried out by CrescentRating, Malaysia was ranked first.

    The survey was carried out to know the 20 favorite destinations for travelers during the 2016 Ramadhan holiday.

    The ten top destinations for Muslim travelers, according to the survey, are Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Turkey, Brunei Darussalam, South Africa, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Oman.

    Pitana said in the past few years, a number of countries have focused on Muslim majority markets and have thus become his offices focus of attention with regard to tapping their potential to boost foreign visitors to Indonesia.

    With the recognition, he said, it is hoped Indonesia will be better known among Muslim travelers across the world.

    “This is a potential segment that, we hope, will contribute much to achieving the target of foreign tourist arrivals this year,” he said.

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  • New Hotels Keep Popping Up in Korea’s Most Celebrated Beachfront Community

    New Hotels Keep Popping Up in Korea’s Most Celebrated Beachfront Community

    Busan’s Haeundae district is best known for its beach that attracts millions of visitors each summer. But it’s also a major MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) center, with the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO),and hosts major annual events such as the Busan International Film Festival. Under these conditions, competition between hotels is higher than ever.

    In 2019, Haeundae will welcome another global hotel franchise unit, Sheraton, which will be operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Starwood currently owns 11 brands including Sheraton and Westin, and operates over 1,300 hotels in some 100 countries. The new 260-room hotel will be located between two major beaches in Busan, Haeundae and Songjeong.

    Lotte Hotel has recently finalized plans to operate a luxury hotel inside the LCT Landmark Tower. The 101-storey tower, which is also located by Haeundae beach, is expected to be completed in 2019.Busan’s Haeundae district is best known for its beach that attracts millions of visitors each summer. (image: Wikimedia)

    Korean retail giant Shinsegae is in the middle of the planning process to build a hotel that offers a somewhat differentiated service by connecting services with shopping. The hotel will be built across from the company’s Centum City store, which is the largest department store in the world. 

    A Japanese company, Sega Sammy Holdings, has also established plans to build a luxury hotel (312 rooms) and a business hotel (470 rooms) on the opposite side of BEXCO. 

    Hotel Shilla, a Samsung subsidiary that operates hotels and duty-free shops, is building a 406-room business hotel, which is expected to open in 2017.

    Lotte Hotel has recently finalized plans to operate a luxury hotel inside the LCT Landmark Tower. The 101-storey tower, which is also located by Haeundae beach, is expected to be completed in 2019. (image: LCT)

    Amid such changes in the area, some businesses welcome the new development plans, while there are those that suffer from the increasing availability of new accommodations. 

    “The hotel market in Haeundae has reached its saturation point, and we have been struggling with our operations,” said an official from one of the hotels in Haeundae. “The government should limit the number of hotel approvals in the area.” 

    “We need a large number of hotels to host large-scale events,” said a MICE industry affiliate. “It’s too early to say that the hotel market in Haeundae is over-saturated. We need more hotels for the continued growth of the MICE industry.”

     

  • Garuda re-exploring plans for flights to US in 2017

    Garuda re-exploring plans for flights to US in 2017

    Garuda Indonesia plans to re-explore the feasibility of starting flights to the United States in 2017 if the national flag carrier passes Category 1 test of safety and security standards as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

    “Next year, we will try and clear this test as it is part of our five year plan, or this may be achieved even earlier,” the Garuda Indonesia President Director, M Arif Wibowo, said here on Wednesday.

    He noted that 400 thousand passengers travel from the US to Indonesia every year.

    The cities which receive maximum visitors are Los Angeles and New York, he added.

    “The number of potential passengers departing from Los Angeles is 120 thousand, while many more depart from New York,” Arif said.

    The flights will transit through Narita, Japan and will use two units of Boeing 777.

    “Actually, we want to start direct flights but that is not possible as of now. The option is to fly via Narita, Japan,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Director General of Air Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Suprasetyo, said the audit result of the FAA will be declared by July 2016 at the latest.

    “We have completed and reported all the documents and are optimistic that we can achieve our target,” he added.

    The Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation at the Transportation Ministry, Mohammad Alwi, said the last seven documents related to flight inspection have been reported online to the FAA auditors.

    “All the documents have been accepted. God willing, this July we will receive the good news as Ramadan and Eid gift,” he said.

    According to him, if Garuda is awarded Category 1 status, then its aviation safety standards and security aspects must conform to international standards, in line with the flag carriers in the same category.

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  • Indonesia’s Lion Air removed from EU air safety blacklist

    Indonesia’s Lion Air removed from EU air safety blacklist

    Indonesia’s Lion Air, a major buyer of Airbus and Boeing jets, was removed from the European Union’s air safety blacklist, the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

    That means Lion Air is no longer banned from flying in the 28-nation EU.

  • Citilink Adds Nine Flights for Ramadan

    Citilink Adds Nine Flights for Ramadan

    Citilink is set to add more flights in Holy Month Ramadan. “There will be at least 9 extra flights,” said Commerce Director of PT Citilink Indonesia, Hans Nugroho, on Thursday.

    Hans said that the flights will operate 7 days before and after Eid. The extra flights will cover routes to Padang, Yogyakarta, Medan, and Denpasar. “We will see if other routes are necessary,” he said.

    Finance Director of Citilink Indonesia, Mega Satria, said that the airline adds flights only on the existing routes. “It the routes are potential, we will add more routes,” she said.

    Morever, Hans added that a surge of passengers is a certain thing on Eid holiday, Therefore, extra flights is a bid to anticipate it. He underlined that tcket reservation has started to increase in number.

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  • Indonesia is favorite tourist destination for Australians

    Indonesia is favorite tourist destination for Australians

    Data obtained from the Australia Bureau of Statistics revealed that 105,500 Australians visit Indonesia every month, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya noted in a press statement received by us here on Monday.

    The minister said the figure showed that Indonesia was a favorite tourist destination for Australians.

    “The data, which was released a month ago, for the first time revealed that Indonesia was the most preferred tourist destination among Australians,” Arief noted.

    According to the bureau, earlier, most Australians visited New Zealand, with an average of 99,400 tourists per month.

    “This is certainly due to the visa-free policy extended to Australians visiting Indonesia,” the minister remarked, adding that the ministry along with the Foreign Ministry and the Indonesian Consulate General across Australia had promoted the policy in the country.

    The Indonesian tourism branding called Wonderful Indonesia has been promoted in several regions in Australia through various mass media, including social media.

    “Our international openness is assessed by the World Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index as one of the measurable values,” Arief stated.

    The minister believes that the statistical figures were accurate and can be used in tourism development programs.

    The minister said the 10 priority tourist destinations, especially the maritime tourist sites, have been drawing Australian visitors.

    Of the 10 tourist destinations, seven are maritime tourist sites: Tanjung Kelayang in Bangka Belitung, Tanjung Lesung in Banten, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Seribu Islands in Jakarta, and Morotai in North Maluku.

    The maritime tourist sites are divided into three main zones: coastal, underwater, and sea. The third one is an inter-island tourist zone that can be explored by yacht.

    “Most of the Australian tourists prefer tourist sites in the coastal zone, with waves ideal for surfing. We have several new surfing spots in Banyuwangi, Mentawai, and Nias,” Arief added.

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