This collaboration program with China's TikTok was carried out to welcome back Chinese tourists after a three-year absence related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is collaborating with DouYin / China’s TikTok social media platform to collaborate on promotion of Indonesia's tourism and creative economy, especially Bali and Labuan Bajo destinations for the Chinese market segment.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, said in his statement, Friday (April 7), explained that this cooperation program was carried out to welcome back Chinese tourists after a three-year absence related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This collaboration between China’s TikTok and The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy was carried out by organizing a socialization program (famtrip/familiarization trip) for key opinion leaders (KOL)/influencers from China.

The ministry and China’s TikTok invited four key opinion leaders to take part in the famtrip which is held from April 3 to 8, 2023 in Bali and Labuan Bajo.

Not only to support the #ItsTimeforBali promotion campaign, this program is also expected to be able to promote Labuan Bajo as one of Indonesia’s five super priority destinations, which has also been appointed as the host of the 2023 ASEAN Summit in May 2023.

The Chinese government has previously reopened borders and allowed its people to traveling as a group of 20 countries including Indonesia since February 6, 2023.

"The reopening of China's borders is one of the moments that the world, including Indonesia, has been waiting for. Not only increasing the number of tourists from China which will support Indonesia’s target of 7.4 million foreign tourist visits in 2023, but also raising the quality of tourists by increasing the length of stay, exploring destinations and encouraging more spending," Sandiaga explained.

The famtrip participants will visit several tourist objects in Bali and Labuan Bajo in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province with various key points, including in the fields of food, culture, wellness, and adventure.

During this famtrip, participants will get a memorable flying experience with Xiamen Air, which has just resumed the Xiamen-Denpasar route in March 2023.

They will also be invited to stay comfortably at luxury hotels in Bali and Labuan Bajo, namely The Laguna Resort & Spa Nusa Dua in Bali, the Luxury Collection, and AYANA Komodo Waecicu Beach.

Pro Bali Tours will provide personalized tours for participants to explore Bali, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan Island.

Participants' visit to Bali will not be complete without getting to know the most comprehensive destinations and entertainment centers in Bali.

Hence, they are invited by Atlas Beach Fest Bali to experience an immersive creative and cultural hub where they can enjoy integrated music, arts and foods.

In addition, Sea Safari Cruises will ensure that all participants can have a worry-free adventure on sea and land, as well as present a well-spent itinerary with Cheng Ho Phinisi Ship to explore several attractions such as sunrise trekking on Padar Island, visiting Komodo Island, swimming at Pink Beach, and more.

This wonderful journey will be closed perfectly with the best spa treatment, where modern design meets traditional healing practices, provided by Desa Potato Head Bali.

Minister Sandiaga pointed out that China is one of the biggest market countries for tourists to Indonesia. There were more than two million visits by Chinese tourists to Indonesia in three consecutive years from 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Chinese tourists are also the biggest overseas spenders before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data shows that the average length of stay of Chinese tourists in Indonesia ranges from eight to 10.71 days, with an average spending per arrival reaching 1,100 U.S. dollars to 1,386.55 U.S. dollars.

"All participants are expected to share their experiences during the trip and be able to convince the people in China through their stories, videos and photos, promoting that Wonderful Indonesia is worth visiting and more than ready, with our typical hospitality, to welcome back Chinese tourists," Sandiaga said.

Deputy for Marketing for the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, stressed the importance of connectivity to accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector and attract more Chinese tourists to the country.

Currently, there are a total of 12 direct flight routes from 10 cities in China (Beijing, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Wuhan, Wenzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing) to Jakarta and Bali, with a total of 41 flight frequencies operated by eight airlines. The total seat capacity reaches 8,209 seats per week.

“More direct flights will make it easier for Chinese tourists to visit Indonesia. Therefore, we are working with foreign airline partners such as Xiamen Air and strongly encourage our national airlines to reopen routes and meet passenger capacity, at least at the pre-pandemic level," Ni Made noted.

She also hopes that in the next phase, Chinese tourists will not only visit Bali.

“Through the 'Bali Add-on' campaign, we also invite all tourists to add other destinations on their next visit, such as Labuan Bajo (East Nusa Tenggara province), Mandalika, Lombok (both in West Nusa Tenggara province), or Borobudur (Central Java province) which are not too far from Bali. This is a follow-up to Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo's directive to promote five Super Priority destinations," she added.

The ministry’s Director of Tourism Marketing Regional 1 - Asia Pacific Region, Wisnu Sindhutrisno, explained, to achieve the target of 255,300 Chinese tourist visits this year and to keep Wonderful Indonesia top of mind for Chinese tourists, a collaborative approach must be taken by the public sector and private tourism stakeholders.

Therefore, the ministry does not only collaborate with DouYin, but also with various partners, namely The Laguna Resort & Spa Nusa Dua, Bali, the Luxury Collection, AYANA Komodo Waecicu Beach, Probali Tours, Xiamen Air, Sea Safari Cruises, Potato Head village, and Atlas Beach Fest Bali, to organize this program.

"Our partners really support this famtrip activity because they believe this can be an effective collaborative effort to raise awareness, which will ultimately influence the decision to choose Wonderful Indonesia as their travel destination," Wisnu said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window