VOINews, Jakarta: Deputy of Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, announced on Friday (17/1/2025) that the development of tourism villages remains a flagship program in Indonesia's tourism sector. However, several new initiatives have been introduced to enhance the existing programs. These new initiatives were presented by the ministry at the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
"Indonesia’s participation in TRAVEX ATF 2025 serves as an excellent platform to introduce new programs aimed at developing Indonesia’s tourism. These include the clean tourism movement, tourism digitization or Tourism 5.0, and the development of niche tourism attractions," Made said in an official statement.
According to Made, these new programs aim to create sustainable and high-quality tourism experiences in Indonesia. By doing so, the country hopes to strengthen its presence in the international tourism market, particularly in Southeast Asia.
"The ASEAN market remains highly promising. In the first 11 months of 2024 alone, tourist arrivals from ASEAN countries reached 4,303,773 visitors," she added.
During the forum, the Ministry of Tourism collaborated with the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Johor Bahru, the Johor State Government, and the Riau Islands Provincial Government. This partnership aims to enhance connectivity between Johor and Indonesia and introduce the Cross Border Promotion initiative.
Johor, as one of KJRI Johor Bahru’s areas of operation, shares geographical, demographic, cultural, and historical ties with Indonesia’s Riau Islands.
"Due to this close connection, many economic, trade, investment, tourism, and cultural issues overlap between the two regions. Therefore, we need to create programs that benefit both Johor and the Riau Islands communities," Made explained.
The Consul General of Indonesia in Johor Bahru, Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto, highlighted efforts to boost international tourism in border regions between Indonesia and Malaysia. The provinces of Riau Islands and Johor are working on a Special Border Treatment (SBT) program.
"This initiative aims to increase cross-border visits from Johor residents to the Riau Islands and vice versa. Regarding the SBT plan, the Riau Islands Regional Tourism Promotion Board and Tourism Johor are currently discussing its technical implementation with local tourism businesses," Sigit stated.
As of the second day of TRAVEX ATF 2025, the potential business-to-business transactions at the Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion have reached IDR 41.1 billion. This figure is expected to increase further by the final day of the event.
With these initiatives, Indonesia seeks to strengthen its tourism industry while fostering closer relations with neighboring countries through innovative programs and partnerships./rri.co.id/VOI