Jakarta to host tourism mart despite crisis

Jakarta to host tourism mart despite crisis

JAKARTA (JP): The government is proceeding with its plan to
host its annual international tourism mart next month despite the
tourism sector remaining stuck in the doldrums.

The Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (BPPI),
Pontjo Sutowo, said yesterday the fifth annual Tourism Indonesia
Mart would be held from Sept. 22 through Sept. 26, because the
gathering would be a key way to restore the country's tainted
image.

"The mart will be a measuring rod to determine the progress or
regression of our tourism industry," Pontjo, also chairman of the
Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, told reporters.

BPPI Managing Director Wuryastuti Sunario said security issues
remained a major problem in attracting visitors back to the
country after Jakarta and several cities were hit by massive
riots in May.

"People are concerned about whether Jakarta will be safe by
September, but we will show them that their safety is guaranteed
here so that we can restore the country's image," she said.

Wuryastuti said that by yesterday 55 foreign buyers and 158
domestic delegations had registered to participate in the mart.

Tourism-related businesses from Jakarta, Bali, Central Java,
West Java, East Java, East Timor, Irian Jaya, South Sulawesi,
North Sulawesi, East Sumatra, Yogyakarta and West Nusa Tenggara
were expected to set up 150 booths at the event, she said.

The registered foreign buyers come from 16 countries:
Australia, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Germany, Hong Kong,
Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, South
Africa, Spain, Swiss, Thailand, the United States and England.

Wuryastuti said she expected 150 foreign buyers to participate
in the mart which will take place at the Jakarta Convention
Center.

Sponsors for the event are all coming from the private sector
as the government no longer allocates funds for the tourism
sector.

BPPI itself has come under sharp criticism for running up
unpaid debts of US$21.5 million.

Wuryastuti said the mart organizers were being forced to cut
expenses this year.

This year's event would feature modest dinner parties and
there would be no expo as in previous years, she said.

The fee to participate for buyers from Asian countries, many
of whom had been affected by the economic crisis, has been
lowered to $200 from $250 last year, she said.

Local sellers who wanted to participate are being charged
about Rp 6 million (US$465), unlike last year's fee of $1,500.

According to BPPI, tourist arrivals in the first semester of
this year plunged to 1.57 million from 2.02 million in the same
period last year.

The board's statistics show a steady decline in tourist
arrivals this year from 285,510 in January to 237,312 in June.

Arrivals

Tourist arrivals hit rock bottom in May, the height of the
unrest, when 225,758 people came to Indonesia, compared to
323,167 in May 1997.

The number of visitors was recorded at 11 entry points in the
country, compared to seven entry points in 1997.

BPPI said several main travel destinations had lost revenue
since the May riots.

Bali lost the opportunity to host 24 conferences, with 11,161
expected participants, during the April to June period, the board
said.

Jakarta lost seven conferences with an estimated 13,150
participants in the same period.

The capital also saw three international exhibitions canceled
between April and July. These would have used 64,000 square
meters of rental space.

The board said airlines operating in the country suffered 60
percent cancellations, or about 75,000 passengers, in June and
July. (das)