REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's Embassy in Islamabad brought 10 Pakistani travel operators from Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi and three representatives of the Thai Airways office in Pakistan to conduct business with 21 Bali travel operators in Seminyak, Bali.
The business meeting was initiated by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Islamabad and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Karachi with the support of Thai Airways, as noted in a press statement from Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs received here on Wednesday.
During the business meeting, Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri highlighted the close relations between Indonesia and Pakistan due to historical factors and cultural similarities, so there was potential for strengthening inter-community relations, tourism, and trade.
"Both countries share a close historical relationship since the era of President Soekarno until that of President Joko Widodo," he stated.
The embassy has continued to promote Indonesian tourism and trade, including through the Wonderful Indonesia program in 2016, in a Pakistani television channel, which has displayed tourist attractions in Bali, Lombok, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta.
A total of six episodes of the Wonderful Indonesia program were aired twice on the Pakistani television channel that is broadcast across all provinces. Through YouTube, Wonderful Indonesia has attracted more than 60 thousand people.
The government of Indonesia believes Pakistan could be a source of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia.
Irfan Khan, representing Pakistani travel operators, noted that the increasing popularity of Indonesian tourism in various circles in Pakistan needs to be encouraged, including through business meetings.
"Indonesia is quite popular among honeymooners and corporate tourists. This business meeting can bridge the gap and introduce Indonesia to travel agents," Khan stated.
Representatives of Pakistani travel operators also made visits to several hotels in Bali Province. The visits immediately offered a clear picture of their potential partners in the province.
"This business meeting is expected to increase knowledge about Indonesia, so tour operators can be more aggressive in selling Indonesian tour packages in Pakistan," Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan Iwan Suyudhie Amri said.
During a visit to Bali, the representatives of Pakistani travel operators visited tourist attractions to be promoted among groups of Pakistani tourists who will travel to Indonesia from November to December.
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