Aceh Sumatra Expo (ASPO) 2019, organized by the Aceh Tourism and Culture Agency, is being held until Nov. 16 in Jakarta.

Along with a seminar held on Wednesday, the expo is also presenting an exhibition from Thursday to Saturday.  

With the theme "Like, Love & Share Aceh", the seminar examined issues related to the optimization of tourism and the creative economy sectors in Aceh and Sumatra.

Reza Fahlevi, a deputy assistant for tourism development at the Tourism Ministry, was one of the speakers at the seminar. He encouraged Aceh and Sumatra to organize various tourism packages based on the provinces’ strengths, increase accessibility for travelers who wish to reach the provinces and improve local human resources.

He said that Sumatra has access to Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport, meaning that it already has connections to the world. “[You should] consider accessibility and connectivity when selling tourism packages,” Reza said. “We have to have a new access in the future – how about a Sabang-Phuket [Thailand] route?”

He acknowledged that several tourism packages have already been implemented. “But improvements in terms of quality and diversification are still required,” he added.

Read also: Aceh wants 150,000 foreign tourists in 2019

At the event, the chief editor of The Jakarta Post Nezar Patria told the audience that the media often perceive Aceh to be conservative, but such perceptions only represent a small part of the province.

He added that there’s a lack of counter-narratives to such perceptions. “We can utilize social media. I think it’s effective to build narratives that will form certain perceptions,” he said. "[Travelers] can highlight their memorable experiences, such as feeling the warm welcome of Acehnese people, instead of just focusing on the province’s beautiful landscapes."

Starting on Thursday, the event's exhibition is to take place at the Kota Kasablanka Mall in South Jakarta and focus on activities based on Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Expo (MICE) events.

Rahmadhani, marketing head of the Aceh Tourism and Culture Agency, stated that the event is to bring Aceh closer to people in Jakarta by showcasing images of the province’s nature potential, art performances and a cooking demonstration of traditional delicacies.

“We will display Aceh traditional products as well, especially from the small and medium industries,” Rahmadhani said. (wng)

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