INDONESIA TIPS MID EAST FOR OUTBOUND TOURISM GROWTH

Indonesian hoteliers and tour operators are tipping the Middle East as a

key target growth market for tourism to the Asian/Pacific Ocean

republic.

A private sector travel trade delegation from Indonesia will put forward

its case for greater tourism links with the Middle East at Arabian

Travel Market 2000 the region’s foremost travel and tourism trade

exhibition, which takes place next week (May 2) at the Dubai World Trade

Centre.

"We visited the Arabian Travel Market last year and realised that our

property is suitable for the Middle East market," said Harti Hadisoemo,

Sales Director for Jakarta’s Hotel Ciputra. "The Middle East currently

represents 25% of our market share and though our visitor levels from

the region fell by almost 20% last year compared to 1998, we are

optimistic that this year they will be back on the upward trend."

Last year 10,637 visitors from the Middle East stayed at the Hotel

Ciputra generating income of some US $513,102. This year the property

expects to host 11,701 Middle East tourists and hopes the figure will

rise further, to 12,871 next year.

"There are obvious links between Indonesia and the Middle East," said

Hadisoemo. "The people are friendly and Muslim food is available

everywhere because 90% of Indonesians are Muslims."

Leading Indonesian tour operator Sanuka Tours and Travel says at Arabian

Travel Market 2000 it will launch luxury honeymoon packages and family

packages to Bali.

Bali Hilton International says the potential for Middle East-Bali

tourism is "huge."

"The buying power of the Middle East market is relatively good and

though we practically have zero base customer from the Middle East we

are very positive about developing potential demand to Bali," said Sales

Manager Suta Marjaya.

A delegation from Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism is due in Dubai next

week to participate in Arabian Travel Market, which runs from May 2-5.

"This is the first official participation by Indonesia at any Arabian

Travel Market since the show’s launch seven years ago," said Matt

Thompson, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market. "We are optimistic

of its success which should spur the country on to even greater

participation next year."

More than 700 exhibitors from 57 nations are taking part in Arabian

Travel Market 2000, which will span some 7,000 square metres and be the

largest in the show’s history.

Arabian Travel Market 2000 is organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions

(RTE), part of The Reed Exhibition Companies Ltd., (REC), which manages

over 300 events in 25 countries, serving over 55 different industry

sectors with some 112,000 exhibition companies and over eight million

visitors.