A Catchy Package Tour for Teachers, Students and Me. Why not?

In my youth, sightseeing was not something I liked very much. As a bookworm, staying in my room to read comic books or magazines was my fave activity before I read again my text books.

I started to be fond of going sightseeing since I got a chance to live in Queensland for 2 years. Oz is the first foreign country I visited. I spent my weekends and vacations to explore Brisbane, the capital city, by bus or train and sometimes on foot. I loved to stroll around the city garden with its elegant trees. The chairs near the trees seemed to tease me to sit on one of them for a little while.

Sometimes I just walked around the city center, doing window shopping, or watching Aborigine’ street musicians and painters. I also took many pictures of Queenslander’ houses, museums, government buildings and campus areas. On another occasion, I went to China Town to get some groceries as well as to buy some used books, souvenirs, and to watch the palm readers in their tent. I also enjoyed my going to the blue Gold Coast to admire its beauty and clean.

I bring the joy of sightseeing to Jambi, my current residence. Along with my husband and kiddos, I start to adore a travel to Padang beach, the city where I was born and grew up. I used to think that going there was something ordinary. I also appreciate the handycrafts and the embroideries made by the local people of Bukitinggi.

  In other occasions, I and my family go to the praire in Padang Bolak, North Sumatra where hundreds of cattle are let free and fed there. We also visit small cities in  Jambi Province like Muaro Bungo, Kuala Tungkal or sometimes stay for a night in the hill of Kerinci, enjoying the view of tea trees and waiting for the sunrise.

Somes spots in Jambi City also become the target of my visits. The place I visit quite often with some friends is the Lake Sipin. This small lake with only 42 hectares large has one restaurant. Its veranda overlooks the lake. No wonder I do like to have my lunch here. Finishing our lunch, I and my friends usually buy some fresh fish such as Toman, Lambak, atau Baung for our family’s dinner.

The detailed and catchy look of these tourism spots leaves a unique feeling, proud of being an Indonesian. It also enriches my horizon as well as lightens up my life burden. I am sure my appreciation toward the tourism spots in Indonesia comes from the experience I had during my staying abroad. My country’s uniqueness is above another countries’. Most of tourism areas in Australian or Singapore are artificial, in contrary to my country.

In Oz the package of tourism tour is well managed to help the travellers. As one example, the brochures of how to get to Gold Coast or Australian Zoo and the cost of the entrance fee, either by train or by bus is obtained easily. We can find them in campuses or train stations or guest houses. In Jambi, the tourism brochures can only be found in the travel agencies. Most brochures are dominated by abroad or hajj/umroh trips. I hardly find any brochures of domestic tourism packages. Even in Sultan Thaha airport, I can’t find those kinds of brochure. Pathetic, huh??

No wonder the tourism packages to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are more popular than those to Bali or Ancol. Quite surprisingly the domestic tourists for the trips are not solely those with high income. Some of them are teachers and middle rank professionals such as civil servants or private company employees.

How could it happen? Why Indonesians prefer to make rich other countries in tourism sector than their own country?? “We need a short time and affordable tourism package, and an agency that will take care of us during the trip,” said Juslina, a teacher who ever joined a trip to those countries. “We do not have relatives there, so we entrust the travel agency to guide us,” said this 42 year old teacher. In the past she just went to a tourism site or area in Indonesia where she has relatives or acquitances there.

Juslina said that those countries’ tourism spots were not too interesting. “The scenery is ordinary. I could not buy many souvenirs or foods because they are out of my taste and aren’t cheap. However, I am proud of myself since I had a chance to see other countries,” she said and laughed, recalled the memory of 5 days trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. She refused to be regarded as a less nationalistic Indonesian. She just didn’t find an agency which offers a package tour to tourism areas in Indonesia.

If there were travel agencies that provide domestic tourism packages and the services given are as convinient as those of abroad trips, would you like to join it? Yuni, a vice principal of senior high school in Jambi said yes. “Almost every year my school brings students to go on field trip. I and my colleagues work together to take care of them. That’s not easy, you know. It’s tiring. The students’ enthusiasm is quite difficult to control.” she added.

Teachers and students are the market for tourism business that is not touched yet. It just takes 55 minutes by plane from Jambi to Jakarta.If the trip can be packaged into a small and affordable one, let say, a package of Rp2 millions for two nights and offered to schools or offices, I am sure many people will like it. That would be more tempting when discounts are given in certain months as the airplane companies also reduce the airfare tickets in the off-peak season. The trip to Ancol or other tourism areas in Indonesia will be in the hand of teacher, students and middle class employees.

Of course, a good collaboration between travel agencies and managements of tourism area is needed to be able to manage a short time and affordable package tour, with information that can be easily accessed by potential tourists. By providing handy package tour, there will come more tourists from regions outside Jakarta to Ancol or another tourism area, and are proud of being the guests.