VisitBritain cultivates Indonesian market

VISITBRITAIN is focusing on Indonesia as a new growth market in South-east Asia, a move that will be catalysed by direct Jakarta-London flights scheduled to start later this year.

The NTO has categorised Indonesia as a “nurture market” or a territory with solid inbound growth potential where it does not yet have a local presence.

Initiatives will include consumer marketing activities, but there will be stronger emphasis on working with the local travel trade and forming commercial partnerships with key stakeholders such as Garuda Indonesia. The airline will launch direct flights to London Gatwick in Q4 (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 5, 2013).

Further support will be provided by British trade and diplomatic missions in the country, said Joss Croft, marketing director, VisitBritain.

“We're providing tools for the local travel trade and training and development for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to allow us to enter markets like Indonesia,” said Croft. “We have a raft of tools in our toolbox including our digital platforms and our travel (consultant) training scheme, where we'll bring buyers from Indonesia to the Hosted Buyers Marketplace in March.”

Croft added that the NTO was also keen to pick up insights on what motivates Indonesians to travel and what key packaged products would be able to sell.

For Britain, 21 key markets generate 75 per cent of inbound tourism spending, with many of the remaining territories to be categorised as nurture markets to build new growth. “If we do not activate that (remaining 25 per cent) then we will not meet our ambition of reaching 40 million arrivals by 2020,” said Croft.

Established markets in South-east Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore will continue to receive support via trade events such as Destination Britain and Ireland, held from May 14-17 in Bangkok, local British embassies and global marketing activities.

Sourced: ttgasia