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View all search resultsDemand for overseas trips on the rise
Tourism and travel agencies are enjoying booming business, as demand for trips overseas also surge during the Idul Fitri travel season
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ourism and travel agencies are enjoying booming business, as demand for trips overseas also surge during the Idul Fitri travel season.
Association of Indonesia Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) Jakarta chairwoman Herna Danuningrat said that demand for overseas trips always peaked during Idul Fitri, although most Indonesians spent the holiday in their home towns
“Lebaran [Idul Fitri] has always been the most peak travel period throughout the year, followed by the New Year’s holiday season and national holidays,” she told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday without going into details.
Bayu Buana Travel tour manager Alex Djunisap said his company arranged overseas trips for 150 groups of 25 people this month, far more than normal. In low season, the company serves between five and 10 groups.
“Most groups comprise families, with European countries being the favored destinations,” Alex said.
He added that his company offered 12-day holiday packages to five Europe countries — Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands — among other packages to various destinations all over the world.
Alex cited Hong Kong as the second-most favored destination after Europe.
“People tend to buy packages for trips to Europe or Hong Kong, while our customers usually go on their own when they want to go to neighboring countries such as Singapore or Malaysia, and only but flight tickets and hotel vouchers from us,” he said.
Many companies — especially those involved in manufacturing — will close for a week beginning on Saturday to allow employees to celebrate Idul Fitri with their loved ones in their hometowns.
Smailing Tour public relations executive Wisnu Wardana said his company was ready to serve around 2,000 people divided into more than 100 tour groups this month, up 30 percent from the same holiday period last year.
“They are people who had reserved our packages from between May and June. Around 30 to 40 percent of them are going on a tour to Europe,” Wisnu told the Post, adding that his company offered European holiday packages ranging from US$2,000 to $3,000 per person.
China, South Korea and Gold Coast, Australia, were also among Smailing Tour’s customers favorites during this holiday period, Wisnu continued. Wisnu said that most of the tour groups would depart between Aug. 23 and Aug 31.
“On Aug. 27 until Aug. 30, at least 10 tour groups a day depart to their holiday destinations,” he said.
To avoid a departure frenzy at the airport, Smailing Tour will deploy airport handling assistants to take care of its tour groups, “from the time they arrive at the airport until they board the airplane,” he said. (swd)
