27 Jul 2017 SURABAYA - Angkasa Pura Airports held Collaborative Destination Development (CDD) as an effort to support the development of East Java tourism potential in Surabaya on Thursday (27/7/2017) morning. This activity was also done as an effort to accelerate the achievement of the target of 1 million foreign tourists visit to East Java in 2025, according to the theme of this CDD, "Preparing East Java for 1 Million Foreign Tourist Arrivals in 2025".
CDD is an initiative program of Angkasa Pura Airports with focus group discussion (FGD) format as a collaboration forum for tourism stakeholders in Angkasa Pura Airports operating area, in the central and eastern regions of Indonesia. This collaboration forum aims to encourage the development of regional tourism industry potential to produce real output.
"Tourism is one industry that is intensified by President Joko Widodo to be promoted in addition to trade and investment. Angkasa Pura Airports as one of the stakeholders in the tourism industry that plays a role in realizing air connectivity, strives further by initiating Collaborative Destination Development activities. This activity aims to collaborate all stakeholders of tourism in the region, especially East Java, in order to increase regional tourism potential," Danang S. Baskoro said, the Angkasa Pura Airports President Director.
Danang said that the key to success in the aviation and tourism industry is the development of collaboration between airline programs, government programs, tourism industry actors, and programs organized by airport managers. In line with Danang S. Baskoro, Moch. Asrori as Director of Commercial and Business Development of Angkasa Pura Airports said that airport managers should initiate cooperation and coordination with all tourism business actors related agencies in developing the regional tourism industry.
"Specifically, airport managers also must open the widest possible access to travel agent service providers at the airport. In addition, information and communication technology (ICT) is needed to improve the effectiveness of coordination, communication, integration and control between business and tourism especially Angkasa Pura Airports," Asrori said.
Related to the target of 1 million foreign tourists visit to East Java in 2025, Asrori expressed optimism. "If we see the growth of foreign passenger movement over the last few years, we are optimistic to reach the target of 1 million foreign tourists visit to East Java in 2025, even can be reached earlier. In 2016, there are 612,412 visits by foreign tourists through Juanda Airport, up 32% compared to the number of foreign tourists visiting in 2015 which amounted to 463,596 foreign tourists. Even the growth of foreign tourists visiting 2015 compared to 2014 increased significantly by 54%, where in 2014 the number of foreign tourists visiting only 300.009 people," Asrori said.
Further Asrori said, "We as airport managers fully support the plan and target of East Java Provincial Government to bring tourists to East Java. Angkasa Pura I have always paid special attention to regional development, encouraging synergies with local governments, the Ministry of Tourism, airlines and other stakeholders to take an important role in providing infrastructure capacity and air side connectivity. "
Another form of support, said Asrori, is the provision of incentives for airlines that open or add new routes in the form of landing fee. "We encourage airlines to open new routes or increase flight frequencies by providing incentives for landing fee deductions. With the addition of new routes and the frequency of flying, the passenger movement will grow, which in turn is expected to encourage the regional tourism industry, "said Asrori.
Currently there are many tourist destinations and other tourism potentials in East Java that can be optimized even better, such as Bromo Mount, Semeru Mount, Ijen Crater, Gili Iyang, Gili Labak, and Sembilan Gili Genting Beach.
The collaboration forum of tourism stakeholders in East Java involves the ranks of central government represented by the Ministry of Tourism and local government such as East Java Provincial Government, East Java Tourism Agency, Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) of East Java Province, and representatives of surrounding municipal / districts. In addition, this activity also involves business actors such as airlines, Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agents (ASITA) East Java, Association of Hotels and Restaurants Indonesia (PHRI) East Java, and other business actors in tourism.
Asrori expects support from all parties through this forum to capture opportunities and answer the challenges of tourism business in East Java. "With the collaboration and coordination with all parties, it is expected to create a real contribution to the economic improvement of East Java province widely," Asrori said. [DR]
