London (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will be the Country of Honor at the 40th IFTM Top Resa, the biggest international tourism exhibition, to be held at Porte de Versailles, Paris, France, on September 23-25, 2018.

According to a statement from Deputy of Tourism Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism Nia Niscaya received by Antara here, Thursday, being selected as the Country of Honor is expected to promote brand awareness of Indonesian tourism and ensure strong visibility in media and the international public.

At the exhibition, the Indonesian tourism delegation comprises 21 tourism industries from Jakarta; Bandung, West Java; Yogyakarta; Semarang, Central Java; Bali; and Flores, East Nusa Tenggara; as well as the Gorontalo Provincial Tourism Office and the West Sumba District Tourism Office, East Nusa Tenggara.

IFTM Top Resa is one of the largest international tourism exchanges in France that provides opportunities for the tourism industry -- travel trade, hoteliers, and airlines -- around the world to effectively and efficiently maintain business relations and develop business relationships with the international market.

The Indonesian delegation will perform traditional dances and hold carnivals, provide insights into henna painting skills, and offer coffee and traditional beverages.

Niscaya expressed hope that Indonesia`s participation in this exhibition would increase the number of French tourists visiting Indonesia.

France is one of the focus markets of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism. In 2016, a total of 250,921 tourists from France had visited Indonesia. This figure grew 19.79 percent from the previous year.

Meanwhile, in 2017, this number increased by 7.20 percent to 268,989 tourists.

In 2018, the number of French tourists visiting Indonesia is expected to increase to 290 thousand.

Until June 2018, the number of foreign tourists from France had reached 113,996, an increase of 4.02 percent as compared to that during the same month in 2017.

The European region has continued to show positive trends over the past few years. Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia are the top five European markets for Indonesia.

The market value of visitors from these countries reached more than US$1 million,, with an average length of stay of almost two weeks, or around 13.97 days.

At Top Resa, the Ministry of Tourism offers several strategic programs: international ticket bundling packages with domestic transportation, airline cooperation, and wholesalers.

At IFTM Top Resa, Indonesia also partners with Singapore Airlines and Partners Airlines.

Reporting by LWA
Editing by Andi Abdussalam

Reporter: LWA
Editor: Bustanuddin
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