London (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Tourism and the Indonesian Embassy in Rome collaborated with six tour operators offering various travel packages to tourist destinations in Indonesia, in a promotion event at the biggest tourism exhibition in Italy.

Taking place in Rimini, Italy from 10 until 12 October 2018, the Incontri TTG exhibition was one of the biggest tourism exhibitions in Italy, Aisyah M. Allamanda of the Indonesian embassy in Rome, told Antara London on Saturday.

In 2017, more than 72,000 visitors were present, including 1,500 tour operators from 90 countries.

Deputy Director of Marketing Development II Regional IV (Europe) of the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia, Agustini Rahayu, said that participation in TTG Incontri aimed to increase visits of Italian tourists to Indonesia.

According to records, the increase in Italian tourist visits to Indonesia was very high in the first half of 2018, reaching 20.71 percent over the same period last year, Agustini Rahayu said.

Meanwhile Barbara Debora of the Italian Exhibition Group, organizer of TTG Incontri, said that the number of Italian tourists who travel to Asian countries, especially Indonesia, is increasing. This tourism exhibition is very good for capturing tourists who want to spend vacation at the end of the year, especially for those who are interested in Indonesian natural and cultural attractions.

Indonesian Ambassador to Italy, Esti Andayani, emphasized that the Indonesian Embassy in Rome continues to increase tourist visits from Italy through various integrated promotional activities in Indonesia.

In 2019, Indonesia and Italy will commemorate 70 years of bilateral relations between the two countries.

This momentum will be used to promote tourism in Italy more intensively, of course in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, said Ambassador Esti Andayani.

The first Indonesian female ambassador in Italy also explained that Italians like warm weather and in recent years Indonesia with its tropical climate has become one of the favorite destinations.

The Indonesian pavilion at the meeting of tourism entrepreneurs was visited by tour and travel managers as well as journalists and travel bloggers who promoted Indonesian tourism to the Italian population.

One of the travel bloggers who visited Indonesia last February, Francesco admitted he found something in Indonesia that did not exist in other places, namely cultural wealth and hospitality that was very impressive.

"Therefore I have a personal mission to introduce Indonesia through the travel blog that I manage," said Francesco.

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, Italian tourists visiting Indonesia in 2017 reached 84,000 tourists. This figure is targeted to increase to more than 100,000 by 2018.

?????In addition to participating in tourism exhibitions, the Wonderful Indonesia promotion was carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and the Indonesian Embassy in Rome actively through the installation of outdoor advertising and cooperation with travel agents.

Various cultural arts promotion activities that are often carried out by the Indonesian Embassy in Rome are directed to attract the interest of Italian tourists to Indonesia. *

Reporting by Zeynita Gibbons
Editing by Eliswan

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Eliswan Azly
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