The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is targeting twice more Indonesian arrivals this year – or four million footfalls – as it gears up destination promotions in more Indonesian cities.
Indonesia was Singapore’s top tourism source market 2023, contributing 2.3 million arrivals to the city-state.
Speaking at the Made in Singapore media event in Jakarta this week, Mohamed Hafez Marican, area director for Singapore Tourism Board in Indonesia, noted that the Indonesian travel market had a huge impact on Singapore’s travel and tourism industry recovery.
To strengthen its positioning as a welcoming, Muslim-friendly destination for Indonesians, STB will take its destination marketing efforts deeper into Indonesia, beyond capital city Jakarta. Activations are planned for Medan, Surabaya, Bandung, and Makassar, including roadshows in Surabaya, Denpasar and Balikpapan, according to Hafez.
“We collaborate with ASITA Pariwisata, the association of Indonesia’s tour and travel companies, and the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Association (Amphuri) East Java chapter to develop tourism products and establish market presence in East Java and other cities outside Jakarta,” Hafez detailed.
According to Monas Tjahjono, chairman of ASITA Tourism East Java chapter, the collaboration is to introduce Singapore as a friendly destination to Muslims in East Java.
Meanwhile, Amphuri will make Singapore one of the destinations in Umrah-plus packages or as a stopover destination in Umrah/hajj packages.
Monas said: “There is a perception that it is difficult to find halal restaurants and hotels in Singapore. STB and ASITA Pariwisata want to correct this and convey that Singapore is a Muslim-friendly destination.”
ASITA Pariwisata will launch 3D/2N and 4D/3N halal tour packages to Singapore, with visits to Sultan Mosque and Kampong Glam. However, the main highlights will be halal restaurants in popular tourist places such as Orchard Road and Sentosa, remarked Monas.
New products and hidden gems, such as culinary tours of Lau Pa Sat food market and Rumah Toko Warisan Kami, will also be played up.
STB will intensify social media promotions to reach a wider audience and inspire travel through storytelling. Efforts will include collaboration with media and entertainment firms, as well as celebrities.
