Indonesia has recorded potential transactions worth 2.725 million Euros (approximately IDR 46.6 billion) at the Feria Internacional de Turismo (FITUR) 2024 international tourism exhibition held in Madrid, Spain, from January 24 to 28. The Indonesian Embassy in Madrid (KBRI Madrid) is optimistic that Indonesia's successful participation in FITUR will contribute positively to an increase in Spanish tourist visits to Indonesia in 2024. The embassy collaborated with ten tourism industry players to showcase a variety of Indonesian destinations to visitors. Occupying a 65-square-meter booth in Pavilion 6D's main corridor, alongside other Asia-Pacific, South Asia, and Middle East countries, Indonesia engaged with visitors through partnerships with Asia Bespoke Tours, Catur Viajes, Come2indonesia, Experience Toni Bali, Invierte en Indonesia Group, Kura Kura Resort, Lotus Asia Tours, Melia Bali, Pacto DMC, and Spanesia Adventure Group.
CEO of Asia Bespoke Tours, Manfred Schweizer, expressed satisfaction with participating in FITUR 2024 with Indonesia, noting increased interest from visitors in group travel packages, particularly to Bali. However, Schweizer emphasized promoting destinations beyond Bali, such as Sumatra, Kalimantan for orangutan sightings, Komodo Island, Lake Toba, and Raja Ampat. Toni Granados, the owner of Experience Toni Bali, highlighted their in-depth exploration of Balinese culture, offering visitors a unique experience, including spiritual journeys with healers. Most visitors to the Indonesian pavilion expressed enthusiasm for enjoying Indonesian coffee and traditional herbal drinks (jamu) while planning their vacations. Although Bali remained a popular topic, visitors were also curious about the differences between Indonesian and Malaysian orangutans. Indonesia's participation in FITUR 2024 aims to capitalize on the recovery of Spanish interest in international tourism and the revival of Indonesia's tourism sector post-COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, KBRI Madrid leveraged Indonesia's recent selection as a member of the UN Tourism Executive Council, representing the East Asia and Pacific regional commission for the 2023-2027 period. FITUR, the largest tourism exhibition for the Ibero-American and Spanish-speaking markets, held annually in Madrid, attracted 250,000 visitors this year, marking a 13.7% increase from the previous year. The exhibition featured a record-breaking 9,000 companies from 152 countries, compared to 8,500 companies from 131 countries in FITUR 2023.
