One top travel boss is celebrating the potential of Indonesian tourism.
The CEO of low-cost airline AirAsia has been speaking to the media about how tourists can explore beyond Bali and enjoy all that Indonesia has to offer.
Speaking to reporters, the CEO of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes, shared his enthusiasm for travel in Indonesia. As Bali is the country’s flagship destination, it is often the first choice for tourists; however, Fernandes wants to make it easier than ever for tourists to explore more of the archipelago.
He shared, “Indonesia is like a diamond in the making. People know Indonesia as Bali. Even when I was walking around this conference room, I saw the Bali conference room, but there’s so much more to it. We’re opening flight routes to a fantastic place called Labuan Bajo, to Bandung, and Indonesia has unlimited potential.”
He added, “We want to open it up and show the world how amazing the Indonesian market is, its incredible people, its incredible history, its incredible culture, and its incredible natural beauty. Be it its beaches, hills, or even its indigenous cultures.”
The CEO shared insights as to what Indonesia-bound tourists can expect in the next few years in terms of connectivity and flight availability. Fernandes explained, “We’re very confident, and we’re working very hard with the Indonesian government to open regional airports to remove visa restrictions. And we’re very enthusiastic about the next three to five years of Indonesian tourism.”
Fernandes explained that a massive expansion is on the horizon for AirAsia, which will open up new opportunities for business travellers, tourists, and leisure travellers, including those residing in Indonesia, to travel domestically.
He shared, “We’re very optimistic. We’ve worked hard with OEMs like Airbus to build this aircraft so we can fly to smaller destinations with good connectivity. So, 60% of our routes are routes we’ve never flown before, and we’re very excited about the future of tourism in Asia.”
AirAsia and AirAsia Indonesia serve 17 domestic and international routes in and out of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. Domestic routes include Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Solo.
AirAsia International routes served from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport include major cities in the Asia-Pacific region, including Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Shanghai, Manila, Johor Bahru, and New Delhi. AirAsia also offered direct service between Bali and Australia, which is hugely popular with Bali’s most frequent international arrivals.
AirAsia currently offers routes from Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth multiple times a week.
The ethos from Fernandes and AirAisa echoes that of the Indonesian National Tourism Board, Wonderful Indonesia. Indonesia is on a mission to make Bali into a central travel hub, while preserving its stance as a world-leading tourism destination.
Leaders aim to make Bali a gateway for travel throughout Indonesia, supporting sustainable tourism in Bali and promoting lesser-visited areas of the country.
Wonderful Indonesia has recently launched a service of itineraries and travel promotion initiatives that will encourage tourists to explore the archipelago.
With increased connectivity, it will be increasingly easy to arrange and increasingly affordable too. In August, Wonderful Indonesia launched a new itinerary called ‘Bajo, Bali, Beyond Beautiful’.
The suggested travel route ticks off not only Bali but Labuan Bajo too. Labuan Bajo is one of Indonesia’s super priority destinations alongside Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in Lombok, and Likupang in North Sulawesi.
The ‘Bajo, Bali, Beyond Beautiful’ itinerary stops off at iconic destinations like Komodo National Park and Taman Beji Griya Waterfall in Bali.
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