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THIS YEAR, TTC Indonesia will again organize TTC Travel Mart International in two cities; Jakarta and Makassar. The event in Jakarta was held today in Monday (09/2), 2024 at Redtop Pecenongan Hotel, Jakarta, then in Makassar it will be held on Wednesday (09/4), 2024 at Four Points by Sheraton Makassar Hotel, South Sulawesi.
According to the TTC Indonesia Project Manager, Kidung Pascalis, said to the press, this year TTC Travel Mart International is entering its 40th event and has received high enthusiasm from tourism industry players. Held this time in Jakarta, the independent tourism trade fair has managed to attract the attention of more than 1,000 registered buyers, with about 538 buyers attending the morning session and the rest coming in the afternoon session.
“This great interest is a new challenge for TTC Indonesia as the organizer to meet the expectations of the sellers, especially those from overseas and domestic in general,” said Kidung.
TTC Travel Mart in Jakarta, Kidung continued, has 105 tables for vendors, but the number of vendors present reached more than 140 because some vendors shared tables. This year’s TTC Travel Mart also saw increased participation from countries such as Vietnam and Japan, as well as the presence of new sellers from Mediterranean countries, Nepal, Slovenia and Uzbekistan.
He explained that the presence of sellers from Japan was something interesting, considering that the Land of the Rising Sun has been participating in TTC Travel Mart since 2022.
When asked about how the positive growth of the tourism market in Makassar, he directly answered that as in previous years after Jakarta, TTC Travel Mart will continue its journey to Makassar. Although the number of registered buyers in Makassar is not as large as in Jakarta, with around 100 registered buyers, we remain optimistic about the market potential in Eastern Indonesia.
“In Makassar, there will be about 80 vendors present, including vendors from Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Europe,” he affirmed.
Kidung urged the sellers to be more patient and educated in facing the Makassar market. He acknowledged that the market in Makassar is different from Java, both in terms of market capacity and knowledge.
“Therefore, we encourage sellers to focus on building long-term relationships with buyers, not just looking for direct transactions. Because when the market is ready, you (sellers) who participate will definitely be contacted by Makassar buyers,” he added.
Makassar is considered the main hub for eastern Indonesia and TTC Travel Mart sees great potential in this region, especially with the strong support of local associations such as Astindo, ASPI and ASITA. The vendors are expected to introduce new destinations and help open up a wider tourism market in Eastern Indonesia.
“Well, with all the challenges, we remain confident that TTC Travel Mart in Makassar will be successful, especially with the spirit of learning and great support from the local community. The TTC Travel Mart exhibition in Makassar is not only about business, but also about education and building a foundation for a stronger tourism future in East Indonesia,” Kidung concluded. [traveltext.id]
