REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BERLIN - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) visited international tourist exhibition called International Tourism Bourse (ITB) 2013 in Berlin on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. SBY promoted Indonesian tourism before 5,000 participants from tourism industry.
During his speech, SBY emphasized that Indonesia had attractive tourism objects apart from Bali, such as Borobudur Temple and Komodo Island, the Jurassic Park of Indonesia.
"For those who love diving and snorkeling, we have Bunaken and North Maluku. For those who love wild life, we have Orang Utan in Kalimantan. We also have volcano in Sumatra," SBY said on Tuesday.
He added that Indonesia had "Lost of Paradise" Raja Ampat in Papua and spicy food in West Sumatra. "the CNN even mentioned rendang from Padang, West Sumatra, as the most delicious food in the world," SBY said.
Indonesia also has other traditional foods such as nasi goreng or fried rice and satay. "Indonesia has a fully complete package," he said. He joked that tourists could wear only sandals and shorts in Indonesia. "But don't wear that to a party," he said.
SBY hopes that Indonesian participant in ITB could improve Indonesia's tourism sector and encourage the achievement of the target of 10 million tourists visits in 2014.
According to its official site, the ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show. It provides unique opportunities to benefit from the leading think tank of the global tourism industry.
The event is a unique track record, “made in Berlin”. From the first moderate beginnings with five participating countries in the context of an overseas-import trade show, worldwide success developed since 1966.
