Indonesia Phinisi pavilion Wins Award in Berlin Travel Fair

Indonesias pavilion featuring a Phinisi tall ship, Indonesia legendary seafaring icon, has won the Best Exhibitor Award for the Asian, Australian and Oceania region in the Internationale Tourismus-Boerse (ITB) Berlin held in Messe Berlin, Germany, on March 9-13, 2016.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya here, Saturday evening, said he was proud that Indonesias pavilion won the award in the worlds largest travel fair.

Indonesia presented a very colorful pavilion featuring the Phinisi with a beautiful view of Raja Ampat waters and small isles as its background.

The booth accommodated 101 tourism-related sellers, a coffee corner offering free coffee testers to the fairs visitors, a silhouette artist, and several dancers and two models wearing "unbelievable costumes" from Malang Carnival.

Visitors to the Indonesian pavilion measuring 693 m2, were entertained and served by German-speaking officers.

"We are proud that Indonesias pavilion has won the best exhibition award for the Asian, Australian, and Oceania region," Nia Niscaya of the Indonesian tourism ministry, said.

Earlier, Wonderful Indonesia tourism branding also won awards respectively in Los Angeles, and Victoria, Hong Kong.

Hernowo Muliawan of the PCO Karma Wibangga design team, also expressed his happiness that the booth that he and his team team had designed came out as a winner in the ITB Berlin.

The booths design featuring Phinisi introduced Indonesia as major maritime tourist destination having over 17 islands, interesting coastal culture and arts, and amazing maritime natural resources.

Last year, Indonesias pavilion also won a similar award at the 2015 ITB Berlin.

This year, over 10 thousand exhibitors from 187 countries

showcased the latest products and trends related to the global tourism industry at 1,069 stands.

In 2013, Indonesia was the ITBs official partner country, and had the privilege of being the host of the opening ceremony. (Antara)