Pangkalpinang — The Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports Office (Disparbudkepora) of Kepulauan Bangka Belitung Province held a strategic meeting with tourism industry to discuss the opportunities and challenges of opening the Scoot Airlines international flight route from Singapore to Belitung.
The Head of the Tourism Destination and Marketing Division, Irwanto, S.H. led the meeting. He emphasized that the opening of this route is a strategic opportunity to increase international tourist visits, especially from Singapore and surrounding areas.
It was revealed that in spite of its wide open opportunities, there are still several challenges to be anticipated. These include the imbalance in the number of incoming and outgoing passengers, the limited integrated tour packages, and the suboptimal promotion of tourism in the international market.
The tourism office emphasized the importance of synergy and collaboration between local governments and all stakeholders, including the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), travel agents, hospitality businesses, as well as tourism communities. It is considered crucial to keep the route open so it will not stop due to low passenger occupancy rates.
Developing integrated tourism packages connecting Belitung with other destinations such as Bangka Island and Palembang is needed as a strategic step. In addition, a bundling package of hotels and travel agents with special prices is also needed to attract international tourists.
It also focused on promotion enhancement through the optimization of digital media, distribution of promotional materials such as more informative event flyers, and utilization of community networks and associations to expand market reach.
The importance of maintaining the balance of passenger flow was also a concern. One of the proposed strategies was to utilize the potential of domestic passengers, including through cooperation with Umrah travel agents and others, so that flights remain filled when returning to Singapore.
As a follow-up, all parties agreed to hold regular meetings among stakeholders to discuss strategic issues and formulate concrete steps to support the increase in tourist visits.
Through this joint commitment, Disparbudkepora is optimistic that the international flight route can be maximized as one of the main drivers of tourism sector growth in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
