LOMBOK LOOKS TO JAPAN

From 8 - 9 March, the ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade, Investment and Tourism in co-operation with West Nusa Tenggara District Tourism Office ran a 2-day seminar entitled 'Delivery of Quality Services to Japanese Tourist'. The event, which was hosted by the Sheraton Sengigi - Lombok, was attended by eighty tourism industry representatives from all over the province of West Nusa Tenggara, of which Lombok is a part.

The seminar was opened by Head of the District Tourism Office, Adianto, followed by a brief official welcome by Masato Toyoda, the President of Trans. Web. Inc. The sessions that followed were devoted to strategies for attracting greater numbers of Japanese tourist to the island, and included discussions about how to categories and characterise their specific needs.

Chifumi Murase, publisher of the Japanese-longuage magazine, Hotel Junkies Club and Masato Toyado of trans. web.Inc.

The ASEAN Promotion Centre of Trade, Investment and Tourism, more familiarly known as the ASEAN Centre, is Tokyo based organization which works topromote trade with, investment in and tourism to ASEAN member countries.

An Example of a cultural exhibition in a Lombok hotel.
In his welcoming speech, Masato Toyoda expressed his optimism about the future prospects of Lombok's tourism industry, especially considering its potential reflected in the ever increasing numbers of Japanese tourist visiting the islands. It was hoped, explained Toyoda, that the seminar would prove to be a useful forum for sharing information about how to realise that potential.

The enthusiasm of the participants largely representatives of local travel agents and hotels - held out for the entire two days, thus bringing a liveliness and dynamism to each session. There was great interest in discussion exploring the uniqueness of Japanese tourist and how Japanese perceptions of good service. Most of the participants believed that Lombok's most lucrative potential market is Japanese tourists.

Chifumi Murasi, publisher of Hotel Junkies Club Magazine, delivered an interesting presentation about new trends in hotel service. According to Murasi, young Japanese tourist prefer to stay in hotels whish include cultural exhibits. For this reason, Murasi argued, Lombok, as yet relatively untouched and culturally uncontaminated, has great potential to attract young Japanese tourist in large numbers.

Adianto, Head of the west Nusa Tenggara Tourism Office

Valentino Cabansag, the ASEAN's Centre's Director on the move, spoke on the relationship between Japan and other ASEAN nations in the context of the ASEAN Centre. "The ASEAN Centre is like the United Nations of Southeast Asia".he argued.

In the speech that closed the proceedings, Adianto took the opportunity to thank the participants, speakers and the ASEAN Centre itself for its great contribution to the development of Lombok's tourism industry.

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