Tourism package promoted for senior citizens
Tourism package promoted for senior citizens
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta chapter of the Ministry of
Tourism, Post and Telecommunication is striving to promote a
special tourism package designed mainly for elderly citizens and
foreigners.
"We are offering a special package for both domestic and
foreign senior citizens since their physical condition and
attitude create a new tourism market," said Pudjo Basuki, the
chief of the chapter in a press conference.
He said that all parties in the tourist industry should see
this package as a good opportunity because the elderly are not
the same as other tourists who are able to go sightseeing shortly
after they arrive in their hotels.
"The elderly require more time to recuperate from jet lag,
thereby making them stay longer in a hotel. This means more jobs
are created," he said.
According to Pudjo, Jakarta has few tourism packages for
elderly tourists because basically there is no significant
difference between the ordinary packages for the usual tourists
and the ones for senior tourists.
"The only difference in the packages for the elderly is in
the service we give. If they intend to go to Ancol water park for
swimming then the travel organizer must provide extra people to
look after them and watch their safety," Pudjo said.
Pudjo said the special package is hampered by the limited
facilities, provided by the national tourist industry, for the
elderly.
"How many hotels in this town provide specially designed
rooms for its senior guests such as special toilets, bathrooms
and doors which can be used by people in wheelchairs?" he asked.
Pudjo said that in the near future his office will ask all
hotels in Jakarta to disclose the percentage of senior tourists
occupying their rooms, so as to enable the office to intensify
the promotion of the package.
Pudjo said that the idea of special tourism packages for the
elderly was initiated by Minister of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunication Joop Ave, when he was still the director
general of tourism.
Pudjo is optimistic that the package will be fairly
profitable because both western and traditional Indonesian values
support the program.
"Senior citizens from the western world use their retirement
to travel and even though Indonesia's elderly rarely use their
retirement the same way, when they do travel they are always
accompanied by many family members," he said.
Pudjo said that based on the 1991 tourism record, 7.7
percent from the total 74 million of domestic and foreign
tourists who entered this city were senior citizens.
"With the domestic tourism growth rate of 4.2 percent, there
is a fine prospect for the tourism business in handling special
packages for senior citizens," Pudjo said.
Pudjo announced that in order to promote the package, his
office, privately owned Bouraq Airlines and Mulindo Tours travel
agent are jointly holding a photo contest for senior tourists.
The participants should send three different pictures in 10
R size by Jan. 31 at the latest.
The pictures will be judged by experts from the Jakarta-
based Trisakti University and the association of Indonesian
professional photographers. (mas)