Interest in Greek society on holiday to Indonesia is quite high with many who came to Indonesia in the tourism exhibition booth of The 5th Summer Holidays Expo 2011 in Helexpo Palace, Athens, which was held over three days, 20-22 May 2011.

The exhibition, held Helexpo and Greek Tourism Organization aims to provide information to visitors on tourist destinations and attractive tour packages for vacation in summer. This was conveyed by the Athens embassy spokesman told Antara Widya Sinedu London on Monday (5/23/2011).

Embassy in Athens, took the biggest travel agent in Greece, Versus Travel, actively market the Indonesian tourist destination by offering a package of Yogyakarta and Bali for 12 days with a starting price of 1,000 euros, including tickets to go home, accommodation, breakfast, and pick-up from airport-hotel for buyers who come to the exhibition.

The exhibition, which followed 100 participants, among the provinces and cities in Greece as well as tourism and business travel agents, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, as well as electronic and print media were utilized other countries, including Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand , Vietnam, and Tunisia to introduce the benefits of tourism.

Indonesia's participation in the exhibition is visited by tens of thousands of Greek and other foreign citizens in Greece in a bid to promote various tourist destinations in Indonesia and art and culture of the archipelago.

Chief organizer Helexpo Paris Mavridis and Secretary-General Greek National Tourism Organization Greek Ministry of Tourism Georgios Koletsos after opening the exhibition a visit to a number of booths, including Indonesia, which caught his attention because of its unique decor and the setting.

Ambassador Ahmad Rusdi rate, this exhibition is an event of great importance, both for the tourism industry, tour operators conduct transactions, as well as visitors who book a package tour.

Although Greece was hit by the crisis, the interest of local residents remain high for a vacation. This is evident from the enthusiasm of visitors looking for information about interesting places to visit in the holiday season this year.

Many stands of the islands in the Greek territory are professionally promoting potential, uniqueness, and diversity of attractions in each region are integrated and the main attraction of the exhibition. This suggests vigorous tourism promotion conducted in the country of 11 million, which each year attract about 15 million foreign travelers.

The appeal of these activities are actually utilized Embassy to participate in and promote tourism in the country that is more rich in diverse cultures and attractions. Stan enlivened with various posters of the top destinations of tourism-related activities, ranging from Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Bali, Maluku, Sulawesi to Papua.

Embassy utilize this activity to share a variety of brochures, leaflets, CD-rom, batik shawls, brooches reading "Wonderful" Visit Indonesia ", and aired a film about Indonesia's natural beauty from the Directorate General of Marketing The Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Balinese gamelan music is able to create an atmosphere of Indonesia, which is equipped with facilities meeting rooms with a collection of reading material information on visas and other practical matters that demand for both the general conditions of culture, society and nature, as well as security in Indonesia.

Kris and wayang so attraction

At the booth of nuanced typical Indonesian Embassy in displaying a variety of ornaments and crafts from a number of areas. This is the main attraction and generate interest of the community to visit the booth of Indonesia. Various ornaments displayed, such as 5 of a keris, 3 pairs of puppet with batik tablecloths, and a set of angklung has gained the recognition by UNESCO as world cultural heritage nonbenda.

In addition, the Embassy also stands decorated mini gamelan, the bird Jatayu's iconic exhibits and attractions for visitors who want to take pictures, including Indonesian furniture is a commodity exports to Greece, umbrellas Bali, Indonesia and plant origin such as palm and flower bag that adds semar splendor of the atmosphere and cool shades.

Indonesia's participation in this exhibition is the first time, previously held in the city of Thessaloniki, which is quite far from Athens, with a population not of Athens with a population of 5 million people, more potent as a place of culture and tourism promotion.

The presence of Indonesia has received positive response from the local community considering the number of visitors who crowded the platform states have visited the Embassy of Indonesia, especially Bali and Lombok, and would like to visit other tourist areas.

Both Greek island countries rely on coastal and marine tourism. Indonesia needs to introduce activities and other tourism products to attract tourists to Greece.

Embassy promotes three cultural heritage objects not Indonesia, such as Balinese dance, noken Papua, and best practices of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in recognition of the efforts of UNESCO as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The exhibition which was held ahead of this summer is a tourism promotional event for the citizens of Greece in particular came to the exhibition get the information a tourist destination for their vacation in the summer.

It is expected that through the promotion by the Embassy, ​​the Greek community to make Indonesia as one tourist destination in the summer of this year. Indonesia's participation in this exhibition have a fairly extensive coverage by both print and electronic media, especially local travel magazine.