TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Delegates of ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2023 enthusiastically joined the tour to a number of iconic tourist sites in Yogyakarta. The pre-tour was held on Thursday, February 2, 2023, or a day before the opening of the forum.

“Today, the delegates took part in three tour packages,” said the Executive Director of the Borobudur Tourism Authority Board (BOB) Bisma Jatmika.

The first package was entitled Heritage Tour of Yogyakarta. Starting from the Jogja Expo Center (JEC), delegates were invited to Sekar Kedhaton Restaurant for lunch with Keraton or palace-data-style cuisine, Kota Gede to see the heritage of the Sultanate or Kingdom of Mataram, people's markets, the Hindunese-data-style Gedhe Mosque, and Heha Skyview to see the sunset.

The second package was dubbed Discovering The Heart of Yogyakarta. Delegates were invited to Lime Restaurant which offers a blend of traditional and international concepts and then had a tour of the Yogyakarta Palace, the residence of King Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat and his family.

The tour continued to Sonobudoyo Museum which is full of artifacts and the authentic Malioboro Street.

In the third pre-tour package entitled Explore Nature of Yogyakarta, delegates visited STIPRAM (Ambarukmo Tourism College), Ullen Sentalu Museum, Merapi Farma Herbal (Jamu Godhok Kaliurang) which has been built since 1997, and then had dinner at The Manohara Hotel.

“The purpose of the pre-tour is to introduce international and national buyers to destinations, culinary, culture, and creative economy in Yogyakarta,” said Bisma.

The pre-tour packages for the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2023 delegates, he went on, applied the 3G formula initiated by Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno, which is abbreviated from Gercep (Move Fast), Geber (Move Together), and Gaspol (Work on All Potential to Survive).

“The 3G formula requires synergy, so we involve local governments, academics, accommodation services, and tourist attractions to create pre-tour packages,” Bisma concluded.

PRIBADI WICAKSONO (CONTRIBUTOR)

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