18
talking shop
ON LOCATION
Dragon chasing in Indonesia
FAM DETAILS WHEN: OCTOBER 2014 WHO: MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CREATIVE ECONOMY FOR THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA WHAT: FAM TO INDONESIA WHY: SPOTLIGHT ON BALI AND KOMODO ISLAND
THE HOSTS The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy for the Republic of Indonesia recently hosted a group of six UK and Irish travel agents on a fam trip in partnership with Royal Brunei Airlines. The fam trip was designed to educate agents on Bali’s enduring appeal as a tourist destination and encourage the inclusion of an excursion to Komodo Island to their future customers.
THE TRIP
Bali continues to be the most popular destination within
Indonesia from the UK. The group took in the
highlights of the island as well as exploring
beyond this traditional favourite. They
toured a number of key
areas and attractions, including the Tanah Lot Temples and the stunning rice terraces of Tegalalang in Bali. And then they took a
speedboat trip to Komodo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they spent a day trekking in the natural environment to spot wild Komodo dragons. This was a highlight for many and they also enjoyed snorkelling in the waters surrounding Komodo Island’s Pink Beach which are teeming with colourful sea life. The group mixed with the macaques in Monkey Forest, Ubud, and climbed the heights of Kintamani for panoramic views of the volcano. The journey ended with a coffee tasting session in Agro Wisata and a tour of the traditional Desa Penglipuran village to meet the locals who live there. In addition, agents checked out the variety of hotel accommodation available with site inspections to a number of four- and fi ve-star hotels as well as sampling a varied selection of Indonesia’s 30 iconic local dishes
at a number of restaurants. The group included Brittany Dryden, of Rickshaw Travel; Brendan Barry, of Discover Travel; Gordon MacFarland, of Destination Store; Stephanie Mitchell, of STA Travel; Polly Rusyn, Explore; Ian Turner, Touchdown; and Guy Hough, Visit Indonesia’s tourism offi cer for the UK.
THE MARKET The UK is Indonesia's most important European market and initiatives to encourage visitors to go further have reaped benefi ts. Java and Komodo have become more popular and schemes which allow visitors to meet locals in Indonesian Tourism Villages have also gained increased profi le. Through this scheme visitors can work with locals ploughing the rice fi elds or help when they bathe their cows. They can join cookery classes and learn to create one of 30 iconic Balinese dishes or join community-based tours of key tourism highlights. To learn more visit
tourism-indonesia.co.uk •
sellingtravel.co.uk
“Without doubt this trip to Indonesia is up there in my top 10 destinations, spanning 30 years of travel. I can still barely believe that we encountered the real 'Jurassic Park' walking among the most prehistoric of creatures on the fantastic island of Komodo. The experience of seeing these Komodo dragons living and existing in the wild made the experience really unique. There aren’t many destinations left in the world where you can genuinely see creatures in their own unspoilt habitats. Our two hours on Pink Beach were equally beautiful and the level of scenery and sea life within close proximity of the boat would be hard to equal. An amazing 'trip of a lifetime' in Indonesia.” Brendan Barry, Discover Travel
“Overall the experience from start to
fi nish was exceptional. I truly enjoyed each property that we were welcomed at and I felt the itinerary was varied and diverse. My personal highlights were the boat ride to see the Komodo dragons, actually seeing them in the wild and our trip to Desa Penglipuran village. I am very much looking forward to reporting back to all of my travel networks about my experiences in Indonesia and encouraging growth in our product and customer interest here. It is a truly wonderful destination with so much to offer every type of client.” Brittany Dryden, Rickshaw Travel
"What a fabulous country, so full of surprises, from the exotic sandy beaches cosseted by the sanctuary of the hotels to the rugged lush interior and surrounding undeveloped islands. You're guaranteed to fi nd something to please your tastes and here you get that rare feeling that you have visited somewhere different." Gordon MacFarland, Destination Store
What they said...
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