REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya is of the viewpoint that rebranding is essential to promote tourism in Indonesia.

Currently, the country uses the "Wonderful Indonesia" promotion slogan, which was launched in 2011 to replace "Visit Indonesia."

"We will think about it (the tourism brand). If we keep the old brand, I will re-launch it. If there is a new one, I will launch it.

Whether to use the 'Wonderful Indonesia' or 'Remarkable Indonesia,' I will ensure that it will not be too much," Arief noted after the handover ceremony at the Tourism Ministry office here on Tuesday.

Arief emphasized that in order to maximize its functionality, the Indonesian tourism brand must be unified, which means it should be used by all stakeholders.

"For instance, if we use 'Indonesia WOW (abbreviation of World of Wonderful),' we all must agree to use one slogan. We (the Tourism Ministry), the press, and everybody must use one strong brand to promote Indonesia," he explained.

The use of the brand name to promote tourism was considered effective to boost a country as a tourism destination. In the Southeast Asian region, Malaysia uses "Malaysia, Truly Asia", which is recognized as the most successful tourism brand in Asia.

Not fewer than 28 million international tourists have visited Malaysia, and it received the "Best Long Term Marketing and Branding Campaign Gold Awards" in 2008.

Other ASEAN member countries also use their unique brands to promote their tourism potential such as "Brunei, the Green Heart of Borneo"; "Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder"; "Laos, Simply Beautiful"; "Mystical Myanmar"; "It's More Fun in the Philippines"; "Your Singapore"; "Amazing Thailand, Always Amazes You"; and "Vietnam, Timeless Charm."

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika