TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The European Union (EU) will host the second Destination Europe: Travel and Culture Fair on April 9 to 10 at Balai Kartini Convention Center in Jakarta. The event will present the public with the opportunities to explore the culture of 22 EU member states and three other European countries.

EU Ambassador to Indonesia Vincent Guerend said that the event will introduce Europe in a different way compared to ordinary travel fair. "It's a unique opportunity to bring the best experiences from Europe to the Indonesian public, a journey into the historic sight, food, local traditions and languages that would inspire further discoveries," Guerend added.

Last year, there were more than 300,000 visitors from Indonesia coming to Europe. The travel and culture fair is aimed to increase the number this year. "We expect 10 to 11 percent of growth annually, there is an increasing size of population here who can afford to travel" said Guerend.

Georg Witschel, the German Ambassador to Indonesia, who had traveled all over Europe added that every single country that he visited was a memorable experience. He noted that there were around 25,000 tourists from Indonesia in Germany.

Meanwhile, Guerend reassures that despite the recent incident that occurred in Belgium on March 22, Europe remains a safe destination for people to travel to.

AMANDA SIDDHARTA