Forging Public and Private Partnership through Destination Management training and SBC tools pilots Padang, and Sawah Lunto Indonesia

Partner : Private-Public Sector Partnership
#newsletter #government #tourismstakeholders #touroperator

For piloting these tools, West Sumatra was selected as one of the main initial locations. This area is endowed with a wealth of natural and cultural resources—as well as great enthusiasm from private and public sectors to reveal West Sumatran tourism potential to the world. With the goal of developing its tourism potential, the government of the province has been eyeing new potential markets for tourists.

A series of pilot workshops were rolled out from 13-23 October, testing three recently developed toolboxes. A pilot workshop targeted for individual homestay owners was held in Sawahlunto; another in Padang focussed on songket handicraft makers; and a third, also in Padang, looked at cross-sectoral public-private collaboration for destination management. Hosted by the Bank Indonesia Regional Office in Padang, this Destination Management pilot workshop was opened by a jointly organised panel discussion where the Governor of West Sumatera expressed his optimism about the potential of tourism development in West Sumatera.

“The ILO’s tourism tools are effective as they are participatory and interactive. Designed to be held in small groups, everybody feels comfortable in contributing their ideas and it becomes great source of information for the others.” Zuhrizul, Tourism Practitioner from Agam District, West Sumatera

Apart from the participation of homestay owners and handicraft makers from several districts in West Sumatera, the Destination Management pilot workshop was also attended by representatives from larger private sector actors including Garuda Indonesia, Angkasa Pura Group, Blue Bird Group, HIN group, various local travel agents and transportation companies, hotel chains, restaurants members of tourism associations (i.e. ASITA, PHRI, HPI), government officials (provincial and local level heads of tourism and cultural offices, cooperatives and SMEs offices), spatial planning, public works and public affairs offices, as well as members of academia focusing on tourism management and agro-tourism. The participants have shown great enthusiasm for using the ILO’s various tourism toolkits.

“I will take the Homestay Owners and Destination Management toolboxes and re-run them in Mentawai Islands with local stakeholders. We as governments are not capable and do not have time to develop such products and we really appreciate that we are given access to them.”Desti Seminora, Head of Mentawai District’s Tourism Office

“We should realise that these kinds of knowledge products are very valuable, and it is not often that we have free access to such products,” said Rudolf Smit, a senior tourism consultant who participated in the Destination Management pilot workshop. Participants in these handicraft makers and homestay owners pilot workshops are actual business owners, coming with the hope of gaining insights on how to grow their businesses as well on how to replicate the initiatives in their localities. With such a healthy mix of participants, the Destination Management toolbox will hopefully enable public and private sector dialogue in setting out a roadmap for West Sumatran tourism development. It is beneficial to engage a strong Destination Management Operator that are familiar in working together with both Public and Private stakeholders in order to join the forces.

“It is really rare that government officials have the chance to sit together with the private sector, from the airline industry, travel agencies, academicians, and other government offices. This Destination Management module enabled us to sit together and have a structured discussion about tourism development. The use of the toolbox(es) will be disseminated to all districts of West Sumatra next year.” Aprimas, Section Head of Human Resources Development of West Sumatran Tourism and Culture Agency