Travex records $500m in tourism transactions

Travex records $500m in tourism transactions

SURABAYA, East Java (JP): The Travel Exchange (Travex), a tourism mart held during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) here this week, recorded transactions worth about US$500 million.

The Director of Marketing at the Directorate General of Tourism Luther Barrung said here on Thursday that the ratio of sellers to buyers during the Travex was very nearly 1:1.

He said that there were 448 buyers and 454 sellers participating in the three-day mart ended on Thursday.

"Each one of the deals during Travex was estimated at between $20,000 and $50,000," Barrung said, adding that competition during the mart was quite fierce.

One major achievement of this year's ATF was the forum's privatization plan.

ATF is the annual tourism event of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which includes a ministerial discussion and a conference. ATF has been held since 1981 by the host government and its tourist industry.

This year's ATF in Surabaya was organized by PT Setia Mice, in cooperation with the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board.

Of the total cost of Rp 4.8 billion (approximately US$2 million), private companies and organizations contributed Rp 3.2 billion or 66 percent, while the balance was made up by the government.

Meanwhile, Setia's president, Nurdin Purnomo, suggested that the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), set up a wholly-owned limited company which would operate as a professional conference- organizing company.

"This company would become the sole organizer of the annual ATF," he said.

Next year, Kuala Lumpur will host the ATF on Jan. 4-10 1997. (15/icn)