Indonesia Participation In berlin Successful

Berlin, March 12 (Antara)- Indonesia`s participation in ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-B�rse Berlin) 2013 was successful in attracting major tour operators to offer the country as a main tourist destination to their clients, an official said. "This `new account` is Indonesia`s biggest achievement during its participation in the ITB Berlin this year," Nia Niscaya, the Overseas Promotion Director of the Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry, said here on Monday. Indonesia was the official partner country during the ITB Berlin which was held from March 5 t0 10, 2013 and joined by 10,000 participants from 188 nations. Indonesian was highly acclaimed by media which saw the country as a new tourism power in Asia. World-class tour operators such as Thomas Cook and TUI have included many Indonesian tour packages in their offers to tourists from Germany and Europe in general. "This new account will continuously be upgraded by improving various Indonesian destinations which have been regarded as part of the 16 main tourist destinations and seven special interests," she said. Indonesia`s pavilion dubbed as "Wonderful Indonesia" in the ITB Berlin 2013 won as the second best pavilion for the Asian, Australian and Oceania regions. "We must maintain this achievement," she stated. El Salvador`s Deputy Tourism Minister Lic Walter Aleman praised Indonesia`s presentation in the opening ceremony as "very spectacular". Indonesia has participated in the ITB Berlin, which was organized for the first time in 1966, for 45 times. In 2012, the world`s largest tourism bourse was visited by around 172,000 people, including 113,000 trade exhibitors. Indonesia hopes to attract more tourists from Germany in particular and Europe in general. German tourists are considered of having the highest quality. The number of German tourists visiting Indonesia in 2012 was around 153,000 people, and is expected to increase to 165,000 in 2013. Every German tourist in Indonesia spends US$2,240 per visit in average, or three times higher than the average foreign tourists. German tourists stay for two weeks at the average in Indonesia, while other foreign tourists only one week.