RI to host tourism fair
RI to host tourism fair
JAKARTA (JP): On May 11-17 Indonesia will host the first Indian Ocean Tourism Fair, an independent event consisting of a travel exchange, a seminar and a media workshop of the Indian Ocean Tourism Organization (IOTO).
The organization's secretary-general, Graham C. Hornel, told reporters here yesterday that the international fair would be the first event ever held by IOTO.
"IOTO has selected PT Setia Mice Indonesia, a private conference organizer, to organize the fair in Indonesia for five years," he said; thus Setia Mice will host the Indian Ocean Tourism Fair until 2000.
IOTO was set up in June 1995 to group of nations in the Indian Ocean region, which have their own unique tourism products and image.
Twenty-five nations, including Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Singapore, Tanzania and Yemen, are to be the core Indian Ocean Region members.
Setia Mice's president, Nurdin Purnomo, who is also the fair's project director, said that four tourist offices in North Sumatra, Aceh, Lampung and Bali have committed themselves to joining IOTO.
"There are currently several Indonesian parties in IOTO, including the Jakarta Convention Center, Wita Tour, Setia Tour and the Indonesian Times daily," he said.
"We expect about 20 Indonesian parties, especially tourist offices in provinces whose beaches face the Indian Ocean, to join IOTO after the fair in May."
He said that the fair, to be held at the Jakarta Convention Center with 100 booths, expects to attract 100 sellers (40 percent of whom will come from Indonesia) and 100 buyers (30 percent of whom will come from Indonesia).
"We hope the fair will be as prestigious as the PATA travel mart by 1998," Nurdin said.
This year's fair, considered a promotional event for the country's tourist industry, is estimated to end up costing US$2 million.
The travel marts of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) have been annually held in Singapore as a permanent site since 1988. A total of 400 sellers and 300 buyers from the Asia-Pacific region usually participate in this event. (icn)