Ministry of Tourism Indonesia presents Wonderful Indonesia Festival in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand – The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia in collaboration with The Embassy of Indonesia in Bangkok, and Regional Tourism Office from Banten, Jakarta, and West Sulawesi Province will seduce the Land of the White Elephant with a mesmerizing festival in CentralWorld Square, Bangkok, Thailand, on 17-19 November 2017. Under the theme “The Never Ending Story of Magical Land and Legends”, the festival will present the uniqueness of Indonesia’s tourist destinations along with its legendary stories.

CentralWorld with its strategic location with one of the highest footfall in Bangkok is the ideal venue. Visitors can easily get there by BTS (Bangkok Mass Transit System) from all areas across Bangkok.

“We're committed to holding Wonderful Indonesia Festival in Bangkok and want to bring Indonesia to Bangkokians so they can get to know our country better in terms of the richness of our nature and culture. This event is presented not only for Thais but also for many other tourists who visit Thailand. Basically, we encourage everyone to come to "Wonderful Indonesia Festival in CentralWorld Bangkok,” said Deputy for International Marketing, I Gde Pitana.

The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia in its continued effort to familiarize Indonesia tourist destinations to foreign visitors will be showcasing Bali with all its natural beauty and cultural richness, an iconic tourist destination in Indonesia and even in Southeast Asia. In fact, Indonesia has 14,572 islands that possess unique characteristics in each destination. Hence, Minister of Tourism Arif Yahya has announced ’10 new Bali’ to be an alternative choice for foreign tourists. The 10 destinations are Bandung, Bali, Jakarta, Riau Islands, Joglosemar (Yogyakarta, Surakarta and Semarang), the Coral Wonders (Wakatobi, Bunaken and Raja Ampat), Medan, Makassar, Lombok and Banyuwangi. The ’10 new Bali’ will support the Wonderful Indonesia campaign to attract 15 million foreign tourists in 2017 and 20 million foreign tourist by 2019.



In the coming days, Wonderful Indonesia Festival in Thailand will highlight 5 destinations: Medan – Aceh, Jakarta – Bandung – Banten, Yogyakarta – Solo – Semarang (Joglosemar), Surabaya – Malang, and Bali – Lombok. These destinations will be promoted through storytelling and legends from each destination such as the story about Lake Toba legend to promote Lake Toba and Medan, Lutung Kasarung legend to promote Jakarta and Bandung, and the legend of Roro Jonggrang to promote Yogyakarta, Solo and Semarang.

The festival will come with a unique and compelling concept, featuring activities such as art and cultural performances, a concert, a workshop, culinary and fashion bazaars. Indonesian coffee, Batik, Wayang (shadow puppets) and Angklung traditional music instrument are going to be put on display at the festival. Visitors will also be engaged with stimulating activities, such as ceramic painting, a unique craftwork from Malang, paper-doll making workshop and have the opportunity to sample an array of traditional dishes such as Kerak Telor, Soto Bandung, Martabak and other traditional snacks.

For those who love entertainment, Thai actress-model, Pinky Savika Chiyadech is going to perform at the festival. Moreover, the event will also host games, movie screening, augmented reality and virtual reality corners. As for those who love to shop, the festival will host a handicraft market featuring Shirayas Tenun Garut, Cita Tenun Indonesia, Inderes Batik, Roemah Batik Cirebon, Limpapeh Kebaya, Lungsin Tas Tangan and many more artisans.

A travel fair promoting tour packages to Indonesia is also going to be held during the celebrations, featuring Thailand Travel Agencies Association (TTAA), Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion airlines, among others.

“We are holding this trade fair to increase the number of tourists from Thailand that have so far reached 118,000 people this year,” said Assistant Deputy of Promotion for Southeast Asia, Rizki Handayani.

More to Explore    
Indonesia and Thailand have a similar culture, ideology and spiritual heritage. One example is the traditional costume of Gending Sriwijaya dancers from South Sumatra that is pretty similar to Thailand’s traditional costume.

“We also have Borobudur, the biggest and oldest temple in the world that can become a main tourist attraction for them. Indonesia also has plenty of exotic beaches for those who love the ocean,” said Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya.

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