Indonesia seeks to partner with Singapore to host A-list events
Upon sealing an exclusive deal with superstar Taylor Swift, Singapore was the only Southeast Asian stop for her acclaimed ‘The Eras Tour’.
Following the Lion City’s success in hosting the concerts, Indonesia has expressed interest in future collaborations to host A-list events.
It also plans to boost incentives for promoters and event organisers to bring in renowned and high-quality acts.
Ministers from both countries discuss potential collaboration
According to a press release by Indonesia’s tourism board, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, met with Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, on 8 March.
During the meeting, they discussed the potential for collaboration in attracting world-class events, such as concerts.
In particular, the pair reflected on the recent Taylor Swift concerts in Singapore.
With the exclusive deal, Singapore’s economy saw a spike in tourism dollars as the expenditure by concert attendees was fivefold that of regular tourists.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Mr Sandiaga highlighted that Indonesia requires what the Singapore and Australian governments have achieved in attracting the pop sensation.
“We need [to bring] ‘Swiftonomics’ into Indonesian tourism,” he stressed.
Indonesia plans to offer special incentives
In light of this, Indonesia is committed to offering special incentives to promoters and event organisers that bring in renowned acts.
To boost Indonesia’s competitiveness, it will collaborate across ministries and agencies.
The comprehensive strategy includes preparing supporting infrastructure, enhancing human resources, and cracking down on ticket scalpers.
Moreover, the country will work towards digitalising concert permits to make the application process smoother for promoters.
Apart from international artists, Mr Sandiaga emphasised the need to heighten the competency of homegrown musicians.
He proposed the utilisation of digital platforms to actualise innovative marketing strategies.
On 6 March, Mr Sandiaga shared the government’s plans to allocate 2 trillion rupiah (S$171 million) to the Indonesia Tourism Fund this year.
He added:
What the Singapore government did for the Taylor Swift concert should be an inspiration and lesson for us all.
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Featured image adapted from Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif and TAS Rights Management via Singapore Sports Hub on Facebook.