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Text and Pix by Charumini de Silva
In a fresh bid to boost tourism in Yogyakarta, the Indonesian Government together with Singapore Airlines has strengthened its efforts to endorse the destination by increasing flights and promoting it among Sri Lankan tour operators.
The process was further strengthened mid last year, with the Indonesian Government deciding to offer visa free entry for Sri Lankan tourists.
“The decision to offer free-visa resulted positively for our arrival numbers from Sri Lanka to Indonesia. The average number of 11,000 visitors doubled to 26,000 tourists from Sri Lanka last year and we hope that the numbers will continue to grow in future,” Indonesian Embassy Counsellor Pinardi Priambododi told journalists in Yogyakarta, Indonesia last week.
However, he said that the number of Indonesians visiting Sri Lanka had decreased due to visa restrictions. “We are now talking to the Government of Sri Lanka to exempt visa for Indonesian tourists,” he pointed out.
According to him, currently most travellers coming to Indonesia are from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia due to close proximity, while travellers from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, China and Europe are also visiting the island nation.
Considering the increased number of visitors from Sri Lanka to Indonesia, he said they are now taking the opportunity to promote Yogyakarta among Sri Lankans in collaboration with Singapore Airlines.
Singapore Airlines General Manager Hongyao Hu said Indonesia was one of the biggest markets of the airline where it operates over 100 flights a week.
According to him, the airline operates to 13 various destinations in Indonesia, together with SilkAir a wholly owned subsidiary of the Singapore Airlines. The Singapore Airlines fly to three cities in Indonesia including Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya; while SilkAir flies to Balikapan, Bandung, Denpasar, Lombok, Makassar, Manado, Medan, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta.
“I think Yogyakarta is definitely an attractive destination for Sri Lankans especially because of the heritage sites such as Borobudur Buddhist temple and Prambanan Hindu temple. It is also a great destination for shopping,” he added.
Having organised a familiarisation tour for Sri Lankan tour operators to have a firsthand experience in the city and to showcase wonders in Yogyakarta, Hu believes it will have positive results in attracting tourists from Sri Lanka.
Singapore Airlines operates SilkAir flights from Singapore to Yogyakarta daily except on Mondays.
Indonesian Embassy Counsellor Hanomanresi Dwatmaji pointed out that interest from the Indonesian tour operators was also building up in visiting Sri Lanka especially for historic sightseeing in Kandy, Sigiriya and Anuradhapura.
With the active tourism promotions taking place in both countries he was optimistic that it would benefit the two countries simultaneously.
IATA Agents Association President and Travel Agents Association Sri Lanka Vice President Channa Wijemanne said they hoped to create new travel packages for Sri Lankans to visit Yogyakarta.
In addition he recommended Yogyakarta as a great shopping destination. “The shopping here is really good and I think Sri Lankans love to shop. Now that visa process in Thailand is very rigorous and shopping there becoming expensive, Yogyakarta is an amazing alternative with visa-free entry. The brands, variety and pricing are really nice. The food here is also really good.”
Wijemanne commended the efforts of Singapore Airlines insisting that it was the only airline in Sri Lanka that provided familiarisation tours. “This is the 20th consecutive time the airline is hosting travel agents on a fam tour. Singapore Airlines is a very flexible and great airline to work with when it comes to our travel packages,” he added.
Gabo Travels CEO Faris Dean sharing his experience in Yogyakarta said that Borobudur was definitely going to be a major attraction for many tourists from Sri Lanka. “When we reached the top tier of Borobudur temple, it just gave a feeling of peace. I am sure it will be a major attraction to promote Yogyakarta tourism. I think as travel agents there is potential to promote Borobudur and Prambanan.”
Commenting on the visa free entry for Indonesian travellers to Sri Lanka, he said it was a “work in progress” and a positive outcome was expected in the near future from Sri Lankan Tourism authorities.
Outlining the airline’s plans for South East Asia and Sri Lanka in the future, Singapore Airlines Public Relations and Premium Services Manager Shihana Cader said they would like to offer even more attractive fares and more value additions to its product, adding that increased travel by Sri Lankans would undoubtedly help achieve this goal.
“All our customers will be pampered with our award-winning brand of personalised service to ensure a great experience on the ground and in the air,” she added.
She pointed that MI 427, which operates on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m., is a perfect journey to Singapore for those who do not prefer sleepless nights in airports and flights. “Using the new flights in the morning gives a good time for hotel check-in, dinner and good sleep to start the next day fresh in Singapore.”
Noting that Singapore Airlines is one of the well-established airlines in Sri Lanka, Cader said from 31 March this year, it had increased flight frequency from seven to 10 weekly.
Another opportunity for customers travelling with Singapore Airlines is that they will be able to redeem a voucher worth $ 20 when transiting through Singapore Changi Airport. The voucher can be used at retail, food and service outlets at the Changi Airport.
SilkAir Manager – Yogyakarta Hanafee Abdrahman said inbound tourism was growing strong. “SilkAir started with just one flight a day and today it has grown to three times a week. The demand and possibilities of travel are picking up in Yogyakarta as connectivity inbound as well as outbound is good. The Government is also pushing inbound tourism. In terms of sightseeing, activities, food, and shopping we see potential in Yogyakarta. We are always trying to create a new Bali.”
