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)