Jakarta showcases its culinary, romantic, and shopping appeal through a bold campaign at Dubai International Airport, positioning itself as a global urban tourism destination.
The Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency has chosen Dubai International Airport (DXB) to promote Jakarta as a premium urban tourism destination. The presence of Jakarta’s beauty at Dubai’s airport serves as a tourism promotion for the city as well as for the country, with hopes of attracting millions of international visitors from the Middle East.
Jakarta’s image appears on giant digital screens, welcoming millions of passengers from around the world. This initiative is not merely a standard tourism campaign; instead, it serves as an effort to position Jakarta on the global competitive map as a premium urban destination, ready to compete with iconic international cities.
Lucky Wulandari, Head of the Foreign Tourism Marketing Sub-Group at the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, stated that the screens are located at strategic points guaranteed to be visible from an audience perspective, starting from the immigration grand gateway (T1 Arrivals), the digital network boarding gates, and the majestic gates (Concourse D, Departures).
“We ‘sell’ waiting times. Passengers at the airport typically have a long waiting time. During that period, they may be unable to escape the advertising message. That’s where Jakarta comes in,” explained Wulandari, as quoted from the press on Friday, the 12th of September.
Furthermore, Sherly Yuliana, Head of Marketing & Attractions, stated that in the world of advertising, “less is more.” Therefore, Jakarta’s promotional display features a simple visual and an immediately engaging 10-second advert.
Dubai International Airport was selected because it has been the busiest airport for international flights for ten consecutive years. The airport also functions as an international hub between 293 destinations in 108 countries, served by more than 100 airlines. Within an eight-hour flight, two-thirds of the world’s population can be reached from Dubai.
“Dubai isn’t just a gateway to the Middle East. It’s a global stage. Tourists from Asia, Europe, and even Africa gather there. Anyone who shows up at DXB [Dubai International Airport] is automatically seen as a global brand,” explained Andhika Permata, Head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, previously on Thursday, the 11th of September.
According to Permata, there are three elements to the theme. The first element is gastronomy, which highlights Jakarta as a culinary destination rich in flavour. The second element is romance, meaning that Jakarta, as a city with a rich history, makes an impression as a holiday destination for couples and families. Finally, the third element is shopping, which means that Jakarta is a retail paradise with international appeal.
“This theme was chosen because it’s relevant to the interests of the international market. Culinary, romance, and shopping are the three strongest gateways to promote Jakarta,” he added.