In a trailblazing move to bolster tourism in Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, fondly known as Jokowi, has launched the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Visit Years for 2023 to 2025. This strategic initiative is expected to forge stronger tourism ties among the three nations.
The grand unveiling, which took place at the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, was celebrated with high-ranking officials from the IMT-GT member nations in attendance. The campaign is poised to stimulate tourism sector growth and improve connectivity among these countries.
Jokowi underlined the economic potential of the IMT-GT region, which yielded a notable US$618 billion value during the global pandemic in 2021. His vision is for the region to spur inclusive and sustainable economic growth amid forthcoming challenges.
Endorsing the campaign, Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, expressed his aspiration for the involvement of 10 provinces in Sumatra, alongside Southern Thailand and Malaysia. The strategy centers on enhancing various industries, including tourism, while boosting connectivity with an ambitious goal of attracting more tourists.
The campaign’s objectives are lofty, aiming to draw in 60 million tourists and generate foreign exchange earnings of US$75 billion in the three-year period. The initiative will roll out in Indonesia, commencing in Bangka Belitung and South Sumatra, before extending to other Sumatran provinces.
However, successful collaboration requires more than just agreements on paper. The president of the Association of Travel Agents in Indonesia, Pauline Suharno, emphasizes the necessity of concrete steps and commitment from all participant countries.
A significant component of the campaign is a world entrepreneur summit, hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in Padang, West Sumatra. Successful execution of the campaign also necessitates the creation of a co-brand and the establishment of short- and long-term joint promotions and budgets, as proposed by Pauline.
Christine Kowandi, tour manager of Horas Tours, accentuated the importance of robust promotions and sales missions to stimulate regional traffic. Travel agents are seasoned in handling travel arrangements involving the three countries, suggesting a promising future for the campaign.
This news is based on an article from ttgasia.com.
