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Tourism Ministry introduces new promotional program for Batam, Bintan
Both Batam and Bintan have high percentage of foreign tourists by up to 16 percent, placing them right below Bali with 43 percent and Jakarta with 19 percent.
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Sunset at Mirota beach, Batam. (Shutterstock/File)
The Tourism Ministry is set to launch a Batam Bintan Crossborder event at the Batam View Beach and Resort on Aug. 18.
“The launching is held in order to develop the tourist markets in Malaysia and Singapore for Batam and Bintan,” said the ministry's deputy minister for Overseas Promotion, I Gde Pitana.
The event is set to be attended by about 150 participants, of which 40 of them are from Malaysia and Singapore consisting of journalists, wholesalers, agents, embassy representatives and communities.
“This program is the final product; we’ve already coordinated with ferry operators, hotels, travel agents, regional administrations, shopping centers, golf courses, event organizers, spas and restaurants,” added Pitana.
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Among the ferry operators supporting the event are Batam Fast, Majestic Ferry, Citra Ferry and Bintan Ferry. These companies are said to give special price for foreign tourists who come to Batam, Bintan and Tanjung Pinang on weekdays.
“There are 161 tour and promotional packages ready to be offered to foreign tourist with prices starting at S$20, which is around Rp 190,000,” Pitana added.
The price includes a round-trip ticket and terminal fee.
Both Batam and Bintan have high percentage of foreign tourists by up to 16 percent, placing them right below Bali with 43 percent and Jakarta with 19 percent.
According to the ministry's data, in the first semester of 2017, Riau Islands province welcomed 1,011,908 foreign tourists, a one percent decrease from the same period last year. However, the number of tourist visit in June this year is 180,313 people, which indicates a 15 percent increase from the same month last year.
“With a good management, the tourist growth in Batam and Bintan can increase by up to three times. We are targeting an additional of 100,000 foreign tourists from Singapore and Malaysia,” said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya. (kes)
