Go On a Virtual Tour of Indonesia and Visit Popular Tourist Sites This Month

KOMPAS.com – In November, domestic and international travelers can partake in a virtual tour of Indonesia visiting sites like Raja Ampat and Lake Toba.

A range of beloved tourist destinations in Indonesia including Komodo National Park, Borobudur Temple, Mount Rinjani, and Gorontalo are included in the upcoming educational and tourism event.

Dubbed ‘Virtual Indonesia,’ the virtual tour of Indonesia is a partnership between Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Traval.co, Sebumi, Atourin, Destinazones, and Botubarani Whale Shark Tourism.

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The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy's Deputy of Tourism Products and Events Rizki Handayani said that the event aims to introduce the many tourist destinations in Indonesia to an audience who miss the experience of traveling.

CEO of Traval.co, Julius Bramanto added that his hope is for all stakeholders to contribute in rebuilding Indonesia’s tourism sector.

“That way we can create a positive and sustainable impact which benefits society, nature, and local culture.”

Distinct stories

Julius highlighted how selecting the tourist sites that will be featured during ‘Virtual Indonesia’ was based on the distinctive stories each destination had to share.

The tourist destination of Gorontalo was chosen for the virtual tour of Indonesia because of the whale sharks swimming in its waters, an aspect unique to Indonesia.

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During the digital tour, audience members will be accompanied by a tour guide from Botubarani Whale Shark Tourism.

“We offer a special type of tourism activity for individuals with a genuine interest in seeing whale sharks,” said Sukirman Tilahunga, a representative of the Botubarani Whale Shark Tourism.

Prior to the pandemic, domestic and international travelers had three options to see whale sharks — by snorkeling, diving, or by boat.

Whale sharks are an endangered species and are protected by the Indonesian government.

To interact with Indonesia’s whale sharks, travelers had to adhere to certain rules such as maintaining a distance of three meters from the animal’s head and 4 meters from its tail.

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“A guide must be present to prevent travelers from getting too close to the whale sharks. Travelers are forbidden to touch the whale sharks, but more information will be relayed during the virtual tour of Indonesia,” said Sukirman.

A new way of traveling

Traval.co’s Julius iterated that future virtual tours of Indonesia will continue with many people yearning to relive the travel experience and explore the many tourist destinations in Indonesia.

“Let’s say there are 500 tourist sites in Indonesia, people cannot visit all of it thus a virtual tour is an alternative for future travels.”

Julius is confident that a virtual tour of Indonesia is an effective strategy to promote the country’s tourism sector that is teeming with rich stories waiting to be revealed.

Read also: A Not-So-Beautiful View of Indonesia Tourism during Covid-19 Pandemic

He explained how the audience will develop a type of attachment for a tourist destination after attending the virtual of Indonesia and hearing the colorful stories about each site.

“After one event, most individuals ask when the tourist destinations in Indonesia will open post-pandemic and other inquiries such as travel bookings and schedules.”

Schedule and registration

‘Virtual Indonesia’ will run every Saturday and Sunday from November 7-29, 2020 starting at 10am local time.

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To register for a free virtual tour of Indonesia, you can visit traval.co and click the ‘Book Now’ feature.

The digital tour will take place on the Zoom platform or you can partake in the month-long event via the Pesona Indonesia YouTube channel.

(Writer: Nabilla Ramadhian | Editor: Anggara Wikan Prasetya)

Source: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2020/11/05/160400627/kangen-liburan-yuk-ikut-virtual-indonesia-sepanjang-november-2020?page=all#page2