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TO maintain the existence of Indonesian tourism in the eyes of the world, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy participated in the international event Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin 2021, which was held on 9-12 March 2021.
According to the Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism, Nia Niscaya, explained that ITB Berlin is one of the largest tourism exhibitions in the world. In 2021 ITB Berlin presents the first digital exhibition format in response to pandemic conditions. There are about 109 participating Indonesian tourism industries, including travel agents, hotels and airlines.
“Indonesia’s participation in the International Tourismus-Börse Berlin 2021 is our step in maintaining the existence of the Indonesian tourism sector so that it remains the main choice of tourist destinations. The virtual exhibition is an adaptation step during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
In 2019, there were around 10,000 companies and organizations from 181 countries showing their products and services to around 160,000 visitors. Meanwhile in 2020 ITB Berlin was canceled a few days before the opening day considering the pandemic conditions.
“Seeing the large number of visitors who came to the ITB Berlin exhibition in 2019. I am sure and believe that through our participation this year, it can grow the desire of tourists to visit Indonesia, so that the number of tourists can increase and contribute to the country’s foreign exchange and GDP,” Nia noted.
It was recorded that in 2019, she continued the contribution of the tourism sector to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 5.5%. The increase in the contribution of tourism to GDP is driven by the increase in the number of foreign tourists, domestic tourists, and investment. Meanwhile, the realization of foreign exchange from the tourism sector reached IDR 280 trillion.
“In ITB Berlin, there are virtual business to business (B2B) meetings. Indonesia also has four sessions to present related tourism in Indonesia. Each session will discuss different topics, such as the latest information on travel tours in Indonesia, national heritage, how to be a responsible tourist when traveling, and sustainable tourism,” she stated.
Nia added, one year we have been through the COVID-19 pandemic. I think people will be very excited to travel and we want to invite tourists to explore every corner of tourist destinations in Indonesia. Through this presentation session, Indonesia will bring visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of Indonesia, which is thick with its culture and traditions. [traveltext.id]
