JAKARTA, 5 September 2003 — The Tourism Indonesia Market and Exposition (TIME 2003), in which a number of leading Saudi travel agents are participating, was opened by Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism I. Gede Ardika at the Jakarta Convention Center here yesterday.
But the grand opening was overshadowed by security concerns and the growing incidence of terrorism.
The three-day tourism event comes two days after an Indonesian district court handed down a four-year jail term for the radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir for sedition and only weeks after the attack on an international hotel in the capital.
Nonetheless TIME 2003 is drawing a large number of visitors including many from abroad.
More than 103 buyers from 26 countries including Saudi Arabia representing some 82 companies are participating in the event.
Many businesses operating in the Saudi tourism sector and owned by Saudi nationals — including Attar Holiday, Amikan Tour, Sondos Aviation, Al-Mashwali Travel, STTB of Saudi Arabia and Al-Tayyar Travel — are taking part.
Asked about plans to promote tourism in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Minister Ardika said that he appointed a special representative for the region to promote Indonesia as a tourist destination.
Indonesia consists of some 17,000 islands and has more than 300 ethnic groups.
The minister said Indonesia “has formulated a new policy to increase security, especially in big cities, around hotels and commercial centers as well as government installations to ensure safety of the tourists and the visitors.”
But he added: “It can’t be denied that we suffered a lot because of our domestic situation, especially last year’s Bali bombings and the recent JW Marriot bombings, and we have also felt the impact of international problems such as Iraq’s war and the outbreak of SARS in Asia.”
