T

he number of outbound tourists is increasing despite the slowing economy.

The rising trend is reflected by the surge in demand for overseas travel packages at local travel agencies in recent months.

The country'€™s largest travel firm Panorama Tour'€™s managing director for leisure travel management, Meity Monica Lukito, said that the firm'€™s overseas travel package sales between January and May this year increased around 37 percent from the same period last year.

'€œWe have booked around Rp 112 billion [US$9.68 million] in sales of overseas tour packages during the last five months, which is an increase of around 37 percent compared to the same period last year,'€ Meity told reporters on Wednesday.

'€œThe country is currently experiencing economic slowdown and this year is also the election year, but it turns out people still want to travel overseas,'€ she said.

Meity said the travel agent was optimistic that demand for overseas trips would continue to increase through the end of the year especially during the school and Idul Fitri holidays in June and July, respectively.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), economic growth slowed to 5.2 percent in the first quarter of 2014, compared to 5.7 percent the previous quarter.

The economic slowdown, however, had no significant impact on income, especially the middle class.

To garner more customers for overseas trips during the two-month long holiday season, the travel agent will hold its annual '€œThe World of Panorama'€ event from May 9-11 this week at Puri Indah Mall, Jakarta.

'€œThe event last year was held at the end of the year targeting tourists looking for tour packages for Christmas holiday. This year we are targeting those looking for vacation packages for the two-month long holiday seasons,'€ Meity told reporters.

'€œThat is why we are optimistic that we can at least book Rp 7 billion in total sales just from this event,'€ she continued.

The Rp 7 billion total sales during the annual event would be an increase of around 40 percent compared to total sales last year.

Cooperating with state-owned bank Bank Negara Indonesia and Japan Credit Bureau, this year'€™s exhibition carries the theme '€œMagical Holiday'€, with the travel agent offering a package to the newest attraction at Universal Studios Japan, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which will be officially opened July 15.

Separately, Pranowo Gumulia the president director of listed tour and travel agency PT Bayu Buana, said that the travel agent would also see an increase in outbound tourism.

'€œOur strategy for this year is that we will increase Islamic-themed travel packages by providing offers to Islamic destinations, not only to Middle Eastern countries but also to China, for instance, to historical areas where the Muslim population was present in the country,'€ Pranowo said on Wednesday.

Bayu Buana reported on Wednesday that it booked Rp 351.15 billion in revenue in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 8.56 percent from Rp 323.45 billion in the same period last year.

The company booked Rp 4.32 billion in net profit increasing 61.19 percent from Rp 2.68 billion on the same period last year.

The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry said last week that 2.2 million foreign tourists arrived in Indonesia in the January-March period this year, a 10.1 percent increase from the same period last year.

The trend was in line with this year'€™s target to increase tourist arrivals by about 10 percent to 9.5 million, from 8.6 million recorded last year.