Perth tour package launched

JAKARTA (JP): Garuda Indonesia launched yesterday a new tour package to the Australian city of Perth, in an effort to boost competitiveness of its service.

Garuda Indonesia's general manager for Jakarta, I.H. Susilo, told a press conference yesterday that Garuda's closest competitors running the same route include Sempati Air, Singapore Airlines and Qantas, which fly to Perth through Indonesia three to five times a week.

Susilo, who was accompanied by the Australian Tourist Commission's regional director for Asia, Greg McAllan, and the Western Australian Tourism Commission's director for international sales and marketing, Rick Thomas, said the package would include tours to Underwater World & Dolphins, or Mariners Cruise and Coach in Freemantle.

The package, he said, would be introduced through Garuda's offices in Jakarta, Bogor and Bandung, as well as travel agents and sub-agents.

A total of 130,000 Indonesians are expected to visit Australia this year, as compared to 105,000 last year. It has been recorded that Perth is the tourist destination of 27.4 percent of Indonesians visiting Australia, the second after Sydney, at 33.2 percent. (pwn)