“Indonesia’s only travel fair showcases tourism potential across the archipelago”

Bali is one of the main gateways to Indonesia for global travelers, contributing up to 40 percent of all foreign visitors to the archipelago annually.

The island serves as a hub, providing direct access to many places across Indonesia, including emerging destinations, so that visitors can explore this vast country with its endless natural and cultural beauty.

The country’s diverse tourism potential was showcased during the Bali & Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) 2016 last week, which was held for the third year.

Taking place from Thursday to Saturday, BBTF — the only travel and tourism fair in Indonesia — brought together 168 sellers (exhibitors and tourism operators) and 222 buyers from 30 countries in a single forum, with a transaction value reaching Rp 6.8 trillion (US$516.8 million).

The participants, consisting of tourism stakeholders from provinces nationwide, had the chance to directly promote the tourism potential of their respective areas to international buyers.

This business-to-business event was expected to advance the country’s tourist industry through business sessions and direct promotion of best practices in meeting, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) and leisure management.

With exhibitors and buyers from numerous countries around the world, the forum facilitated pre-scheduled appointments and business sessions for buyers and sellers to negotiate on their long-term leisure and corporate travel needs.

Corporations, travel agents, hotel and resort chains, cruise operators, convention planners, venue operators and travel buyers could leverage the two and a half days of business-to-business sessions to enhance their respective brands in Indonesia and Asia-Pacific markets.

“Participants in this event are all prominent buyers and sellers. We hope they will be able to promote Bali and areas beyond the island, to the world,” said Ketut Ardana, head of the BBTF organizing committee.

For this year’s BBTF, the committee organized a post tour to several areas in Indonesia, including other parts of Bali, as well as Banyuwangi, Komodo island, NTB and Toraja, to provide opportunities for the buyers to have first-hand experience of Indonesia’s attractive destinations.

As a prominent forum in the travel industry, BBTF is expected to be one of the world’s biggest travel fairs.

Next year, Bali & Beyond Travel Fair will be held from June 7 to 11 and South Sumatera will be the co-host.

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