RI joins Russian tourism expo

Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A delegation from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, along with several travel agency representatives, is to leave for Russia on a promotional trip for Indonesian tourism.

The delegation is participating in the Moscow International Travel and Tourism (MITT) 2004, which opens on March 24 and runs for three days.

This is the third time Indonesia has participated in a tourism expo hosted by Russia.

Although a relatively a new market, Russia has shown great potential for the Indonesian tourism industry. The number of tourists from Russia has steadily increased over the past several years, the ministry's deputy for promotion Udin Saefuddin said on Thursday.

"With tourist arrivals from the country growing by 37.57 percent annually, Russia is certainly a potential market," said Udin.

The ministry's data shows the number of Russian tourists visiting Indonesia increased from 10,873 in 2001 to 14,155 in 2002. More than 60 percent of Russian tourists entered Indonesia via Bali and around 40 percent through Jakarta.

Udin said the number of Russian tourists was estimated last year to increase to between 17,000 and 18,000, while the figure is expected to increase by 30 percent this year.

Eight travel agencies will be represented at the Moscow event, including Visi Tour, Wita Tour, Intercontinental Hotel and Pegasus Indonesia Travel.

The Indonesian booth will take up a 60-square-meter space at the travel expo and feature traditional arts and dance performances.