Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy organized a familiarization trip (fam trip) to Berau Regency, East Kalimantan for four days on September 12-15, 2023 in collaboration with the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN).
This activity involves the media as an effort to promote IKN tourism with Berau Regency as one of the buffer areas. Further, this fam trip is expected to present a travel pattern for the IKN Tour Package including IKN, Samarinda, and Balikpapan as well as tourist villages in the area.
Apart from promoting tourism, this activity also aims to provide awareness about the National Movement of Proud to Travel in Indonesia and provide an overview of the progress of OIKN development to educate the public in realizing OIKN as a world city for all.
Director of Archipelago Tourism Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Dwi Marhen Yono said that his party is optimistic that the potential of the tourism sector and creative economy in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, will be able to attract visits from both domestic and foreign tourists.
“Berau has natural tourism and marine tourism potential that is no less than other leading tourist destinations in Indonesia. Special strategies are surely needed in carrying out promotions, one of which is through this fam trip. We will continue to support efforts to promote tourism and the creative economy in Berau Regency, primarily to support the achievement of the target of 1.2 billion to 1.4 billion domestic tourist movements in 2023 and the creation of 4.4 million jobs in 2024,” said Dwi.
IKN tourism targets 200,000 visitors by 2024
A series of activities in the trip include an introduction to several tourism destinations and creative economy centers in Berau Regency and its surroundings. Participants were invited to go island hopping to Maratua Island, Kakaban Island, Sangalaki Island, Derawan Island, Halo Tabung Cave, and Basinang Souvenir House.
“We hope that through this activity a travel pattern can be created. Hence, travel agents and tour operators (TA/TO) can take advantage of this pattern to sell Berau tour packages and also increase the length of stay of visiting tourists,” Dwi said.
Further, his party will collaborate with conventional TA/TO such as the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Asita), the Indonesian Travel Association (Astindo), and 5 online travel agent (OTA) partners, spanning Traveloka, Tiket.com, Mister Aladdin, Djalanin, and Atourin to promote the tour packages produced from this fam trip. Dwi said the Ministry will also promote Berau Regency tourism at Tourism Expo Japan 2023 on October 26-29 in Osaka.
Meanwhile, Deputy for Social, Cultural, and Community Empowerment of the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) Alimudin said that his party seeks to develop IKN tourism sector and creative economy and empower local communities in the process. “In 2024, there will be around 2 million people moving to IKN. We are targeting 10% of that number or around 200,000 people to visit Berau Regency,” said Alimudin.
Responding to these tourism promotion efforts, the Regional Secretary of Berau Regency Muhammad Ghazali welcomed the collaboration program of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and OIKN. Ghazali said that his party is ready to jointly improve and advance the IKN tourism sector and creative economy, particularly in his region. “We are ready to work together with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and OIKN in finding the best solutions to develop and advance the tourism sector and creative economy in Berau Regency,” he concluded. (Translated by Sinta)
