Web In Travel (WIT), the premier event to focus thought, debate and personality around the subject of travel distribution, marketing and technology, is teaming up with Kibar Kreasi, an Indonesian digital specialist that organises events such as GeekFest, Women Wired Weekend, the Alphaterra Digital Marketing Conference, to organise the first WIT event in Indonesia.
The one-day WIT Indonesia will be held at Pullman Jakarta Central Park (pictured) on March 21, 2013, with Accor Asia-Pacific as a foundation partner.
“With the strong interest in Indonesia’s e-commerce and online travel developments, the time is right to hold a WIT in one of Asia’s biggest travel markets,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder and editor of WIT.
“After China and India, Indonesia, with 248 million people, is the next powerhouse and it is developing so differently from other markets. It’s time to get under the skin of this key market,” added Siew Hoon.
“We are delighted to bring WIT to Indonesia, since this is a great opportunity for our local talents to learn from global experts,” said Yansen Kamto, CEO of Kibar Kreasi. “Indonesia’s digital scene is transforming – we have seen many startups, on travel in particular, popping out and growing rapidly due to the rise of digital adoption.”
Themed “Hot.Hebat.Heboh”, the one-day programme will focus in on what’s hot, awesome and buzzy about Indonesia’s travel market – from its projected 100 million Internet users by 2015 to how social networks and mobile applications are developing distinctly in a market where consumers are obsessed with networking and their devices. 
Graham Hills, managing director of Wego Indonesia, observed there are now 61 million internet users in Indonesia – with mobile connectivity making up a significant portion of traffic. An estimated 58 million users (95%) regularly go online from notebooks, netbooks, tablets, or cellular devices.
E-commerce is developing differently due to the local payment infrastructure but start-ups like Tiket.com say they are seeing an upswing in online bookings – in the case of Tiket.com, at least 40% of its customers are now booking online and with the site’s recent addition of rail, this should increase consumer confidence.
The domestic hotel booking site, Rajakamar, which launched two mobile apps in May, is seeing end-to-end bookings, including payment. “It is also a clear demonstration of the demand from tech savvy Indonesians to be able search, book and pay for domestic hotels on their mobile phone,” said Scott Blume, CEO of RKI Group.
Beyond the process of planning and booking travel, customer aspirations are also changing as a growing middle class gains appetite for travel, encouraged by more affordable air fares and increased air accessibility.
Commenting on trends, Hills noted, “We’re seeing Indonesians taking more frequent short breaks as compared to longer holidays. The cost of domestic travel is decreasing – we’ve seen a 10% year on year decrease. This is a result of more choices on Wego, but also a result of LCCs offering more routes and lower fares.”
“Whilst the traditional destinations like Jakarta and Bali continue to dominate, we’re seeing a lot of rapid growthin other markets around the country. For example, accommodation in destinations like Anyer, Puncak, Pangandaran – which are popular to drive to from Jakarta – is now being researched and booked online whereas previously this would have represented a lot of offline and walk-in bookings,” Hills continued.
Accor, with its 54 hotels in Indonesia, ranging from upscale to budget – and plans to nearly double that network over the next few years – is making a big digital play in the country. When it launched Accorhotels.com in Bahasa Indonesia in May 2012, Jean-Luc Chretien, EVP, Sales Distribution and Loyalty, Accor S.A., said, “With more than 100 million users and with Internet penetration reaching 37 per cent by 2015, Indonesia is becoming a promising digital market in the region. Indonesia is clearly a focus for Accor, as is evidenced by our development pipeline and our commitment to providing access to locally relevant distribution channels to our Indonesian customers.”
The one-day WIT Indonesia will feature speakers from foreign brands looking to expand in Indonesia and local experts who are riding the wave of change.
The event will be pitched to local travel industry players who want to understand the changes happening in the online space, both domestically and internationally, and at foreign players who want to tap into the opportunities of a growing tech-savvy middle class customer base in Indonesia.
“We are working on the programme now – expect it to be packed with ideas and insights you can walk away with as you figure out how to engage with Indonesia in 2013,” said Siew Hoon.
Registration fees are pegged at Rp 2,500,000/USD 280 (early bird rate for registration before February 14) and Rp3,500,000/USD 380 (regular rate from February 15).
For sponsorship opportunities or to reserve your seat, contact Cahyani at [email protected] or +62 813 1867 5046 or Gerry Pang at [email protected] or 65-97977730
