Workshops to boost skills of tourism industry stakeholders

To improve human resources in the tourism industry, the Tourism Ministry is holding technical workshops in the cities of Palembang, Makassar and Surabaya.

The events are attended by representatives of provincial administrations and the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agents (ASITA).

The first workshop was conducted in Palembang from Monday to Tuesday, with participants including tourism industry stakeholders from Sumatra, West Java, Banten, Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Read also: Youth organization to help promote tourism in East Java

Makassar hosts the second event from Friday to Saturday, with stakeholders from Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua participating.

The last workshop will be held in Surabaya from May 2-3, with participants expected from Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

Read also: White sand awaits tourists in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara

“Our mission is to inform [the public] about promotional activities we will be doing overseas in four main categories, namely exhibitions, sales, festivals and familiarization trips,” said the ministry's deputy minister for overseas promotion, I Gde Pitana.

According to Pitana, this year’s marketing strategy for Indonesian tourism would emphasize sales, and the ministry was slated to hold 54 hard-sell activities. “We’re also planning to hold 30 festivals and 51 familiarization trips,” he added. (kes)