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TOURISM observers assess that currently tourists want customized tourism or personal-based tourism so that various tourism potentials that exist in various places can be developed based on changes in behavior in traveling.
According to the Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Scholars Association (ICPI), Azril Azahari, said that now it is customized tourism, personalized, local and insightful. That’s what tourists want. What does it mean? He wants it to be customized tourism, what he wants is very personal, local wisdom.
Tourists, said Azril, look for uniqueness and local wisdom from the places they visit. They not only want attractions, however, also attractions that have characteristics that cannot be found in other countries and have exotic value in the area.
The expert sees that tourist behavior has changed since the 1980s to the 2000s, tourism targets which were originally calculated from mass tourism, have shifted to alternative tourism. Entering the 2020 era, travel behavior is changing to tourism that is quality-based and tailored to interests.
Azril also sees that tourists currently crave travel activities that suit their interests, such as green and blue healing related to nature. Seeing this trend, areas with natural diversity must explore their potential so that they can become an attraction for tourists, such as seeing a flock of dolphins in Sabang, or the experience of interacting with whale sharks in Gorontalo.
The World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) also said that the target for regional tourism value is no longer calculated by the number of tourists, but rather by how much the tourism sector contributes to state income. Contribution can be seen from the period tourists stay and how much money they spend on shopping at tourist attractions.
Azril assesses those changes in tourism values and tourist behavior also need to be anticipated by the government in developing tourism in Indonesia.
Another tourism potential that is also considered to need to be anticipated, according to Azril, is wellness tourism, aka health and welfare-based tourism, including gastronomic tourism or tourism that satisfies the desire to find quality and delicious food.
Indonesia, said Azril, has the potential to develop gastronomic tourism because there are many unique culinary delights that can mostly only be found in Indonesia, such as sago and spices. Then don’t forget, the UNWTO has required that our tourism must refer to community-based tourism. So, tourism is based on the community, no longer on investors.
In the midst of global and national challenges, such as increasing cases of COVID-19, Azril is still optimistic about Indonesian tourism and hopes that these challenges will become an opportunity for Indonesia to provide comfortable and safe tourism for visitors. [antaranews]
