Western Australia: A 3.5 hour trip to the West...
Western Australia: A 3.5 hour trip to the West...
Text and photos by Yoko N. Sari
On the invitation from the Sempati Air, a journalist from The Jakarta Post, Yoko N. Sari recently visited Perth and other cities in Western Australia and compiled the following reports:
PERTH (JP): People travel for various reasons; to enjoy the weather, the views or to shop.
Indonesians' desire to visit Perth, Western Australia, is puzzling because both places have the same tourist attractions.
George, a taxi driver in Perth, wondered why people come to his city that only comes alive on the weekends.
"Look, the streets are empty and it's only eight p.m.," George said, adding that the city doesn't even have a special road like King Cross in Sydney.
Rick Thomas, International Sales Director of the Western Australia Tourist Commission, has the answer. "W.A. is the closest western culture to Indonesia," adding it is also an advantage being so close to a major market like Indonesia.
Perth is only a three-and-a half-hour plane trip from Jakarta and the ticket is relatively cheap at Rp 800,000 (US$363) to Rp 1 million for a round trip.
Perth lies 2,713 km west of Adelaide, the nearest city of comparable size in Australia, a continent where the Britons isolated criminals hundred years ago.
Indonesians won't freeze either, as the temperature can reach 40C in the summer.
Perth overlooks the vast and tranquil waters of the Swan River. According to a guide book for backpackers to W.A., the city has been described as the friendly city.
Founded in 1829, Perth became the headquarters for a third of the continent's economy after the gold rush in 1890. Since the 1950's Perth has been the management base for development of the state's immense iron, bauxite, nickel and diamond resources.
W.A. is also known for its various tourists sites. From the historical Town Hall, Old Court House and Fremantle jail to the natural preservations such as Kings Park, Cohuna Koala Park and Perth Zoological Gardens. Asians can get a chance to experience a western farm lifestyle.
Last, but certainly not least when it comes to attracting Indonesians, the city has a casino, the Burswood Resort Hotel.
RI tourists
It isn't surprising that the number of Indonesian tourists visiting Australia has grown. According to Thomas, the growth in the number of Indonesian tourists exceeds that of tourists from Singapore and Malaysia.
"The growth of Indonesian tourists ranges between 27 and 29 percent a year, while, last year about 29,000 Indonesians visited Perth," Thomas said.
He added his commission is very lucky that many Indonesians have chosen Western Australia as their holiday destination because Indonesians are very good spenders and their average staying days in the area is longer than tourists from other countries.
"On average Indonesians spend about A$140 per day and stay in the city for one week," he explained.
Thomas said actually there are many reasons for Indonesians to come to Perth: to study at the university (about 5,000 Indonesians study there), to go shopping and to gamble at the casino.
Gambling is the key. A Sempati Air travel agents gathering were given a half-hour tour of the casino. In that time, a participant lost about US$3,000 on the roulette table.
The growth in Indonesian tourists has also been helped by three flights a week by Sempati Air from Jakarta.
Manager of Sempati Air in Perth, Sasmita Hadiwibowo, said that currently the composition of its passengers is 60 percent Indonesian.
"The composition will be the same for the next few years. It's because Jakarta is not as popular as Bali," Sasmita said, adding that last year Sempati carried about 55,000 passengers from Jakarta to Perth.
The W.A. Tourist Commission has noticed that its region has become a tourist destination for Asians. Last year about 340,000 Asian tourists visited Perth, an increase from 327,000 in 1993.
The commission provides various facilities and professional services which enable Asian tourists to fully enjoy their holiday.
Professional
The city's tourism is handled and managed professionally. It is easy to get free brochures about the city, and not only at the tourist information centers. As soon as you get off the plane at Perth International Airport you will find paper bags filled with information on shopping centers and tourist sites within the city.
During a visit to Fremantle, a port city, I visited a tourist information center and I found that it had more brochures than the number of people who work at the office.
This isn't always the case in Indonesia. I remember meeting a couple of tourists who were stranded at Jakarta City Hall trying to find the Forest and Natural Preservation Office. They desperately complained: "It is so difficult to get information here."
At first, I thought it might be a language barrier. But then, after I saw the stacks of brochures in W.A. I realized that the problem is due to a lack of brochures containing clear and complete information.
The W.A. Tourist Commission has also successfully invited businesses to invest in sectors which will boost tourist growth in the city.
Many companies, including hotels, car rental places and shops, advertise in the commission's brochures.
"They do not hesitate to invest by putting ads in the brochures because they know that it will be a very good investment," Thomas said.
He added that, based on his experience, the commission has never had difficulty finding sponsors. He pointed out that it was not hard to find sponsors for Sempati Air's travel agents gathering because the sponsors know that the travel agents will promote the town as well as the tourist sites to many Indonesians.
Indonesia can learn that beautiful landscapes and a friendly atmosphere means nothing without professional management and a commitment to improve tourist services.