KOMODO TRAVEL MART TO RETURN IN JUNE 2024 AFTER FIVE-YEAR ABSENCE

KOMODO Travel Mart, a forum that brings together buyers and sellers in the tourism sector for the super-priority tourism destination Labuan Bajo, will be held on June 6-9, 2024 in Labuan Bajo after being previously stopped since 2018.

According to Senior Adviser of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Nia Niscaya in “The Weekly Press Brief” which was held in a hybrid manner at the Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Monday (04/29), 2024, said that this activity would move the tourism sector and creative economy in Labuan Bajo, Flores, and throughout East Nusa Tenggara in general.

“Organizing the 5th Komodo Travel Mart will really help in developing Labuan Bajo as a super priority tourism destination, as well as developing Flores and NTT tourism as a whole,” said Nia Niscaya.

Meanwhile Acting Director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority Implementing Agency, Fransiskus Xaverius Teguh, said this activity was a joint idea of all tourism and creative economy stakeholders in Labuan Bajo and NTT as a whole.

“This activity also confirms that Labuan Bajo is very much worth a visit and is at the forefront of tourism activities in Indonesia and globally. We hope that the potential we have, such as culture, wildlife, national parks, will encourage the movement of tourists in Labuan Bajo Flores to become wider,” Frans remarked.

Komodo Travel Mart 2024 is expected to be attended by 150 buyers from various countries that are the tourism market for Labuan Bajo. Starting from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Australia and others. Meanwhile, 100 tour operators from various regions in NTT will be present for sellers.

“About 100 sellers were present to participate in table top meetings and business forums, and at the same time we also endorsed various creative economy products,” he noted.

Likewise, Komodo Travel Mart V Committee Chairman, Oyan Kristian said that over the past decade, the growth of the tourism sector in Labuan Bajo has outpaced the economic growth of East Nusa Tenggara province as a whole. Labuan Bajo has also become the center of new economic growth in the East Nusa Tenggara region and Southeast Indonesia in general.

“This economic growth is triggered by the tourism sector, which is a new sustainable natural resource. I hope that this activity will be able to expand the tourist market coming to Labuan Bajo,” concluded Oyan. [traveltext.id]