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Executive column: Indonesia needs talent, internet connectivity to develop tourism industry
The Jakarta Post's Adrian Wail Akhlas sat down recently with Vikas Bhola, Booking.com’s regional director in South Asia Pacific, to learn about his perspectives on the rapidly growing travel industry in the region and in Indonesia.
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Sumba Hospitality Foundation from Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, has been selected as one of the finalists in the 2019 Booking Booster, a social training for travel startup companies by online travel platform Booking.com. (Booking.com/File)
T
em>The tourist sector has become a new engine of economic growth amid slowing domestic spending and cooling exports, following heightened global economic turbulence. The government has set a plan to develop 10 super-prioritized tourist destinations, dubbed the new Balis, to support such a strategy. It also expects to welcome 20 million foreign tourists into the country.
The Jakarta Post's Adrian Wail Akhlas sat down recently with Vikas Bhola, Booking.com’s regional director in South Asia Pacific, to learn about his perspectives on the rapidly growing travel industry in the region and in Indonesia. He shared his views about the country’s tourist industry and development, as well as his company’s strategy to benefit from the sector’s expansion as Booking.com aims to promote sustainable travel and boost Indonesia's tourism.
Booking.com has brought travelers from around the globe to the doorsteps of 24,000 accommodation partners here in Indonesia as they aim to promote sustainable travel and boost Indonesia's tourism sector.
The following is an excerpt of the interview.
Question: Where do you see the Indonesian market going forward in the tourist industry and what is your take on customer behavior in this country?
Answer: Indonesia’s tourist industry is growing superfast, with fundamentals such as GDP growing fast, as well as per capita income. We see a direct correlation between GDP and travel anywhere in the world. There is all it begets here in Indonesia, so travel is poised for growth.
Our research shows that more than half of travelers in Indonesia are really looking for experiences, like, more than just a sheer hotel. They are actually looking for experiences that exemplify travel, nurture them into a new individual and they want to learn from their travels as well.
