VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has encouraged all tour and travel agencies incorporated in the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) to move forward and start using digital platforms for their business.

The use of digital platforms is the best business-doing transformation to be carried out by the country's tour and travel industry since almost 70 percent of tourists visiting Indonesia have taken advantages of online services for all of their traveling needs, said Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The Tourism Minister delivered his statement during the ASITA's National Work Meeting held at the Sapta Pesona Building.

"Nowadays, the customers prefer to use online services. Therefore, we can no longer rely on walk-in service and ask customers to come to the travel agent offices to book tickets and choose their tour packages," Minister Arief Yahya remarked.

He hopes that the cooperation between tour operators and travel agencies incorporated in ASITA can help improve the competitiveness of the national tourism sector.

"We need to move forward, and the main requirement is go digital. Without using digital technology, we won't be able to progress, and it will be difficult for us to compete in the increasingly strict world market," Yahya said.

On the same occasion, Chairperson of ASITA Nunung Rusmiati on behalf of tour and travel industry expressed appreciation for all the supports given by the government to the industry, particularly in an effort to reduce flight fares.

"Thanks to the government for listening to our complaints regarding flight fares, and now the airplane ticket prices are back to normal," she stated. (ANTARA)