Indonesia Attracts French Tourists At Travel Mart

Paris (Antara Bali) - Indonesia is attracting French tourists at the International French Travel Market (IFTM) Top Resa which is taking place at the exhibition hall Paris Porte de Versailles on September 20-23, Executive Coordinator of Indonesian Team to IFTM, Molly Prabawaty, said.

On the occasion, Indonesia is represented by some tourism industries including CV Matahari, Pearl Tour & Travel, PT Tanjung Perak Tours and Travel, Bhara//Essence of Bali and Panorama Destination, Molly told Antara here Wednesday.

According to her, it is for the second time that the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry takes part in IFTM Top Resa in its efforts to attract French tourists as only about 160,000 of them came to the archipelagic country.

The Indonesian Central Agency of Statistics recorded that 98,853 French tourists visited Indonesia in 2006 and the number increased to 104,473 in 2007, 125,216 in 2008, 159,924 in 2009, Molly said, adding that France is only second to the UK in contributing the biggest number of European tourists to Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Senior Promotion Manager of Interface Tourism France, Jerome Mariot, said most French tourists preferred Bali. "Two thirds of French tourists visited Bali," said Jerome who represented the Tourism Ministry in France.

Jerome said the French Culture and Tourism Ministry has made various efforts to promote tourist objects in Indonesia including sending French mass media there with a diversity of tourist sites in Bali and other places like Raja Ampat in West Papua where tourists can enjoy diving  tours.

The number of tourists visiting France is bigger than the country's population of  almost 12 million.

Molly said TV station in France TF1 is now running a reality show entitled Koh Lanta about Raja Ampat which is well known among international divers.

Koh Lanta Director Thiery Graff said Raja Ampat is the most beautiful tourist site in the world. "I found a new paradise in Raja Ampat and not many people even Indonesians know it, a crazy archipelago," the director said.

Thiery said Koh Lanta with more than seven million viewers is presented during prime time Thursday night, which was considered as an effective promotion for the Culture and Tourism Ministry.(*)