Indonesian outbound companies take advantage of travel exhibitions to accelerate business recovery
The Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (ASTINDO) organized the ASTINDO Hybrid Travel Show 2022 in partnership with Bank BCA in early September, competing with other tourism-related businesses in Indonesia to capture the country’s pent-up demand for outbound tourism.
Earlier this year, BCA Bank also partnered with Singapore Airlines to organize a travel fair, while Kompas Daily and Bank Mandiri organized a similar fair last weekend. Just last week, Garuda Indonesia also launched Super Deals 9.9 on its popular domestic and regional routes through its website and official distribution channels.
Speaking at the opening of the Hybrid Expo, ASTINDO President Pauline Suharno said: “While borders are opening and travel restrictions are easing, we have been facing challenges with seating capacity, expensive air tickets, longer visa applications, not to mention the pandemic and the resulting The Russo-Ukraine war of global (monetary) inflation.
“However, Global Aid’s 2022 Summer Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey revealed that 79% of travelers worldwide said (increased) airfare and tour prices had not affected their willingness to travel. About 20% of respondents chose to adjust Budget.”
Andini Tirtawisata, Leisure Director at Panorama JTB Tours, told TTG Asia: “After two years of not being able to travel abroad, interest in travel is back. Many of our customers who visited us at travel fairs already knew where they wanted to go on vacation. They visited the fair to find out what travel programs and deals were available .”
Pauline said that various discounts coupled with cash rebates offered by banks, plus on-site credit card zero-interest installment payment, attracted tourists to purchase products on site.
According to ASTINDO’s report, the 25 travel companies participating in the ASTINDO Mixed Travel Show 2022 managed to achieve a combined sales of over IDR 69 billion (US$4.7 million) during the four-day fair.
Europe, Türkiye and the United States are the top destinations for travelers.
Andini commented that while Turkey has been the easiest destination to get to and is the most popular in terms of Covid-19 restrictions, Europe remains the preferred destination.
She shared that despite the lengthy visa application process, lack of seating and chaos during the summer holidays at some European airports, these issues have not deterred travelers from planning, but taught them to plan ahead.
“Instead of changing their plans to travel to Europe because of obstacles, travelers are choosing to adapt,” Pauline said.
Travelers are even packing extra clothing and medication in their handbags in anticipation of potential chaos at the airport, she added.
“They’re buying holidays now to give themselves plenty of time to apply for visas and secure seats for the year-end holidays.”
Airlines are also helping to educate the market and entice travelers to book early by offering them interesting promotional fares for 2023 at the show, Andini said.