VIVAnews - Despite the global economic crisis, tourism growth rate, whether local tourists or foreigners, in Indonesia is still increasing.
World's tourism growth according to World Tourism Organization (WTO) is only 4 percent, while it is 6.2 percent in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is optimistic that the percentage for this year would be beyond 10 percent.
Previously, the global economic crisis has thumped MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Exhibition) businesses, revealed MICE Director Nia Niscaya on Thursday, Dec 4.
As WTO figured, there will be a slowdown in total visits of world tourism. Early WTO's estimation on Southeast Asia recorded 12.4 percent. However, the crisis caused the figure to drop to 6.2 percent.
The number of visits in 2008, until October, grew by more than 13.5 percent. "We cannot yet clearly predict the growth in 2009. We must see the data of December," she said.
The central government will seemingly apply several scenarios adjusting growth figure that WTO issued of between 4 and 6 percent. "We are using the scenarios of 0, 4 or 6 percent," she said. Amidst global worries, there is still hope because Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) stated that tourism in Indonesia is still sound.
"We are optimistic of MICE markets. The number of event proposals is quite increasing. In fact, it has been up by 50 percent compared to last year," she said.
In 2007, MICE Directorate supported 66 events. Total events listed in MICE Directorate's data amounting to 420 national and 209 international events.
MICE's contribution to total visits reached 41.23 percent in 2007. "We are estimating that MICE's contribution in 2008 is higher," she said.
In addition to being a tourist spot, Bali is still the favorite place for holding international events. Panca Rudolf Sarungu of Raja MICE stated that total participants of the 2008 IMCTM reached 110 resorts, convention halls and MICE facility providers acting out as sellers.
"The 110 companies are part of top 200 members of American Express Corporate Business from Singapore, Malaysia, India and Indonesia," she said.
Coverage: Wima Saraswati/Bali
Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono
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