Saturday 30 June 2018

Indonesia - Bali & Beyond Travel Fair 2018 explores tourism potential


The 2018 Bali & Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) is currently being held at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua from June 26-30.

Organized by the Bali branch of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA), the fair will focus on "Exploring the Colors of Indonesia".

The fifth BBTF has invited experts to discuss tourism opportunities and trends, as well as the diversity of Indonesia’s cultures.

As a business-to-business event, the fair acts as a meeting place for sellers and buyers alike. It represents tourism at all levels, including hotels, tour operators, travel technology companies, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) players and representatives from travel companies. 

“Our biggest challenge is to create a harmonious synergy among all entities,” said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya on Wednesday, as reported by kompas.com

He said that problems should be solved by considering the Penta helix model, involving all tourism stakeholders, namely businesspeople, government, the community, academics and the media.
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“The success of the Bali & Beyond Travel Fair since its first staging is proof of the Penta helix. It has motivated us to fully support the BBTF, which has proven itself to be an acclaimed travel fair with an incredible track record,” Arief added.

Meanwhile, BBTF head I Ketut Ardana said it was proud to be a part of the development of Indonesian tourism.

“We chose 'Exploring the Colors of Indonesia' as the theme as we believe in the country’s potential, and how Bali can function as a market place,” he said.

According to Ardana, this year’s BBTF will be attended by 320 buyers from 41 countries, 68 trade buyers, 241 sellers, as well as 36 international media organizations. 

Foreign tourists’ growing interest in living among the locals in Bali also encouraged the BBTF organizers to feature nine tourist villages in Bali for the first time in the fair.
This is designed to introduce the villages’ potential, with homestay facilities that are almost parallel to three- and four-star hotels.
 
Source - TheJakartaPost