Government Affairs
The Tourism Ministry woos visitors with promotional fares to Batam, Bintan
Hop to Indonesia’s islands
The deals will be offered until the end of 2017, and will be continued in the next year if the packages see good uptake.
The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has launched a new Cross Border Programme that aims to entice more international visitors to visit its Batam and Bintan Islands via ferries departing from neighbouring countries like Singapore.
At the centre of these promotional efforts are ‘hot deals’, which bundle together a ferry return ticket with various tour packages from 58 tourism industries including hotels, spa, golf courses and more.
Under the promotion, travellers can purchase ferry return fares for as low S$20 from Singapore to Batam on weekdays. The packages cover departures from Singapore’s Harbourfront and Tanah Merah terminals to all ports in Batam, Batam Centre, Sekupang and Nongsa Pura and in Bintan.
“This represents a new approach to tourism promotion that is focussed on selling actual tour packages rather than on branding or advertisement,” said Riziki Handayani, director of promotion for Southeast Asia, Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia at the press briefing.
This collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and tourism industries in Batam and Bintan hopes to “not only target the weekend crowd, but also to attract visitors during the lull periods on weekdays for a quick getaway or staycation,” shared Sulaiman Shehdek, country manager, Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia.
The deals will be offered until the end of 2017, and will be continued in the next year if the packages see good uptake.