Visitors appeared perplexed as a loud and proud troupe of dancers, one wearing a huge lion mask and traditional musicians entered a Berlin mall recently.

The troupe performed unique dances as they processed with music perhaps unfamiliar to their audience’s ears. Some of the visitors began to either film or photograph the event on their smartphones. Others opted to wait for the next scenes.

The group was performing the Reog Ponorogo dance, a signature piece of Indonesian culture. The Reog dancers paraded into the hall and performed for around 10 minutes.

The attraction was then followed by a performance by a group of Balinese dancers.

The two dances were part of the cultural performances being held on the big stage erected at the Mall of Berlin’s piazza, a semi-open hub connecting the east and west sides of the German capital’s biggest mall.

The performances, part of the Wonderful Indonesia exposition, was jointly organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin and the Tourism Ministry to promote Indonesian tourism and culture.

The two-day event was held last week, from June 17 until 18 and it certainly grabbed the attention of Berliners.

Besides traditional dances there was also a powerful performance by a trio of Batak singers, a Malang fashion carnival and a Kulintang traditional music performance.

A culinary exhibition completed the two-day promotion of the richness of the archipelago. A stall showcasing Indonesian spices such as andaliman and nutmeg was located next to a stall belonging to noodle producer Indofood, which came with a complete selection of instant noodles.

The exotic aromas of Indonesia’s famous dish rendang, beef simmered in coconut milk and spices, also attracted large numbers of visitors.

They paid full attention as chef Alberto Sibuea and his crew explained the rendang cooking process. Dozens of small bowls of rendang served with rice were eagerly snapped up.

On the second day, a giant tumpeng yellow rice cone flanked by dozens of side dishes was also served, the whole lot was gone in two hours.

Axel Cohn, who visited the event with his wife, said he was impressed by the way Indonesia presented itself. Cohn said he had visited Jakarta, Nias island and of course, Bali a few times in the past. “I hate Jakarta traffic and the country’s humidity but the food is so delicious,” he told The Jakarta Post.

He added that the event provided him with more information about Indonesia and by that he meant new destinations and cultures.

Manuela Zickelbein, who was clutching promotional fliers, said she needed to gather more information so that she would know which destination to visit as she planned a special trip to Indonesia with her friends. “My friends and I will hit 50 in three years’ time and we’re planning to go to Indonesia to celebrate it,” she said.

Commenting on this, Nia Niscaya, Tourism Ministry director for promotion in Europe, the Middle East, America and Africa said “planning” had long been German tourists’ middle name and this was partly the reason the event had been organized.

“We expect that through this event they will be curious to find out more about Indonesia. We give them a feel of Indonesia first before they come. Good memories last longer,” she said.

In statistical terms the number of German tourists might be not as high as tourists coming from China or neighboring country Malaysia, but Germans stay longer and spend more. “Germans might spend thousands where others only spend hundreds,” Nia explained.

Traditionally, Germany ranks third-highest among tourist numbers from Europe, after Britain with 280,198 people in 2015, up by 21, 66 percent from 244,594 people in 2014, and France with 209,466 people in 2015, slightly up from 208,537 in the previous year.

According to Tourism Ministry data, 197,937 Germans visited Indonesia in 2015, up by 9.76 percent from the 2014 figure of 184,463.

The ministry also recorded that Germans spent 12.47 days on average per visit in 2014, down slightly from the 2013 figure of 12.61 days but way above Malaysian tourists who spent 5.3 days per visit in 2014, although 1,418,256 Malaysian tourists visited Indonesia that year.

“The German market still has potential,” Nia said.

Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Fauzi Bowo said the event was a pivotal effort in strengthening the awareness of Indonesia among Germans.

“We are now trying to enter the Germans’ radar in the hope that they will have more reasons to visit Indonesia later,” Fauzi, widely known as Foke back home, said.

The former Jakarta governor acknowledged that Indonesia had much to offer but lacked marketing skills. “But let’s not complain, it’s better to start with this.”

The event also comprised a story-telling program for children and a literary discussion.

Among other literary works discussed was the famous Indonesian poem Aku ini Binatang Jalang (I am a wild animal) by Chairil Anwar, which was discussed in German by Indonesianist Berthold Damshauser, who has taught Indonesian literature at Bonn University since 1986.

Damshauser was among those who supported the event, saying that it would be an eye-opener for many of his fellow Germans.

He especially welcomed the initiative to include an Indonesian literature discussion in the program to showcase the country’s literature, both modern and traditional.

Damshauser suggested the need for follow-up events to create continued interest.

Nia promised that Wonderful Indonesia’s Berlin exposition would not be the end of the promotion. One plan is to invite influential figures in Germany’s tourism industry to visit Indonesia in the future.

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