TravTalk India Online Magazine
Indonesia’s Bintan Resorts has partnered with VFS Global with an aim to enhance the visibility and appeal of Bintan Island among Indians. GB Srithar, Head of Tourism Services at VFS Global, shares an outline of the strategy.
Hazel Jain
Leveraging VFS Global’s extensive network across India in all major and secondary cities, along with its strong connections with businesses, and corporate entities, the partnership between Bintan Resorts and VFS Global is expected to boost tourism from India to Bintan Island in the Riau Islands Province of Indonesia. The partnership will launch a targeted campaign in major Indian cities, aiming to position Bintan as a prime destination alongside Singapore, says GB Srithar, Head of Tourism Services, VFS Global.
This will be through an innovative dual-destination strategy. “Of immediate priority is to re-introduce Bintan island’s offerings to the Indian audiences and socialise them to the sheer convenience of hopping on to the island from Singapore,” he says, adding that the Indian market presents a promising opportunity for Bintan’s tourism sector, as India was Singapore’s third-largest source of visitors in 2019, with approximately 1.4 million travellers. Singapore concluded 2023 with 1.08 million Indian visitors. Bintan Island plans to entice and welcome a significant share of travellers to Singapore.
Promotions will focus on digital platforms, B2B sales, and organising workshops and familiarisation trips for travel trade partners. “By positioning Bintan Resorts as a complementary destination to Singapore, accessible by an easy 60-minute ferry ride from the city-state, we aim to attract a double-digit share of these Indian visitors in the coming years,” Srithar adds.
The reintroducing of Bintan Resorts will not be limited to the key metros but across India, including the secondary cities. “Our priority is to tap travellers coming to Singapore from India for a two, three and even four nights in Bintan Resorts. Singapore is now connected to about 16-17 cities directly. These cities will be our priority. However, our strategy is to engage travellers even in the tier cities like Kochi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Indore or Rajkot, who can fly to these connected cities. So, it is a hub and spoke model,” he adds.
Tapping tier cities
After 14 years in the Indian market, Srithar has observed a significant trend – the emergence of secondary cities as key players in outbound travel. “With India’s economy growing at nearly 8 per cent annually, infrastructure development, including new airports, has made travel more accessible. As a result, middle and upper-middle-income travellers, already accustomed to domestic flights, are now venturing internationally, driven by their desire for new experiences. They are now experienced travellers. The proliferation of mobile phones and diverse content has further fuelled this trend,” says Srithar.
He predicts a surge in outbound travel from India and its secondary markets over the next decade, emphasising the need to engage and educate travel trade partners through regular information sessions and outreach efforts, and encouraging them to share new destinations and experiences with their clients. “We need to engage our travel trade partners and strengthen our outreach with them,” he suggests.
Good to know
Bintan Resorts is an integrated beach resort destination that is host to 19 independent beach resorts, four designer golf courses, as well as an ever-expanding range of recreational facilities and attractions. It covers the entire northern coast of Bintan Island and is located just 60 minutes away via a catamaran ferry ride from Singapore. Bintan’s attractions include family-friendly resorts, adrenaline-pumping adventures, as well as enticing culinary experiences and great venues for events, such as weddings, and MICE. Bintan Resort Cakrawala (BRC) is the operational arm of Bintan Resorts International which master plans and manages Bintan Resorts.
