Indonesia courts Singapore tourists through Yogyakarta fam trip

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Tourism Ministry is seeking to boost international tourist arrivals to the Yogyakarta Special Region through a familiarization trip (fam trip) involving several travel agencies from Singapore.

"Through this fam trip, we aim to help Singaporean travel agents formulate quality tourism packages tailored to their market demand, while also strengthening Indonesia's tourism competitiveness at the regional level," said Ni Made Ayu Marthini, the ministry's deputy for marketing.

In a statement received on Friday, she said the initiative reflected the ministry's concrete efforts to promote high-quality tourism and support the achievement of its 2026 international tourist arrival target.

Running from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, the fam trip took the Singaporean participants through a series of premium tourism experiences in Yogyakarta and surrounding areas, beginning with a wellness session at Garrya Bianti.

They also watched the sunrise with Borobudur Temple as a backdrop at Dagi Abhinaya, where they were invited to sample Indonesian cuisine.

The gastronomic program also featured dining experiences at Omah Kecebong and a special gala dinner at Mediterranea Restaurant under the Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy initiative.

The fam trip concluded with a tabletop session at Hotel Tentrem Yogyakarta, designed as a business-matching forum linking participants with potential local partners.

Marthini said the ministry organized the Yogyakarta tour to capitalize on a growing trend among Singaporean travelers seeking wellness-focused vacations and authentic culinary experiences.

Yogyakarta holds a comparative advantage in both segments, she said, citing the region's rich tradition of wellness practices and culinary heritage.

On that note, she expressed hope that the trip would give Singaporean travel agencies a deeper understanding of Yogyakarta's tourism strengths, enabling them to develop travel packages that appeal to travelers from their country.

She added that the trip was carried out in collaboration with several stakeholders, including national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and state-owned tourism holding company InJourney.

"The Tourism Ministry remains committed to effectively promoting Indonesia's leading tourist destinations to help drive economic growth while strengthening the competitiveness of the national tourism sector," Marthini said.

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Translator: H.D. Shanti, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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