Solo Online Tourism
About a month ago I paid a visit to MarketBiz office. Keke, a friend of mine who is the principal of the company has just bought a brand new car and I wanted to tease him. It was hard to catch his tail lately as he was continuously on travel to promote his SEO training programs throughout the country. So when I knew that he was in town, I made my time to drop myself by.
He was having a few guests when I came. Pak Edwin and his wife run successful furniture business in Solo in addition to education role in one of the country’s most prestigious university. Fajar worked for a Bali based travel agent focusing on the newly emerging Eastern Europe and Russian market and preparing himself to establish his own business. We had a long chat about suitable efforts to Solo to improve its tourism industry, and came to a common conclusion on a few certain things.
A few weeks after through an online chat Keke asked me to became one of keynote speakers in an Online Tourism Workshop to be held in Solo. It came to me as a surprise actually as I am definitely not a tourism expert although I run an online business on a very specific niche of tourism. When I had the discussion earlier, I have serious intention at all other than expressing my own opinions. Finally in spirit of helping people by spreading even a tiny bit of knowledge, I gave him an OK.
The event introduced me to many interesting fellows. Andika, the young brain behind the event, a number of entrepreneurs in wooden furniture who have just further their success up by leveraging online marketing, Novi, a young Solonese girl with smart eyes who runs a hotel there, and many more. During the discussion a day prior to the event, I knew that Solo has an enormous tourism potential. Unfortunately it is running into a serious mistake of taking Yogya as the pattern for tourism development. Focusing itself more into domestic market, I personally consider Yogya as a definite failure. If it follows Yogya’s pattern Solo will become just another failure. Even worse as it will remain behind the shadow of Yogya forever.
So when the d-day comes I did whatever it takes to pull audiences’ mind away from Yogya. I motivated to follow Bali as the pattern for Solo tourism development. With orientation mainly focused to international market, Bali has successfully build its tourism wealth in a much higher extent compared to any other tourist destinations in the country. At the end of my session, I handed over the audiences to the next speaker for online marketing techniques with a new paradigm deeply planted in their mind: focusing to international market through online marketing.
At the end of the day in the closing notes I urged them to take real actions. I told them that looking into commercial potentials Solo has, if the late to make their move, I will. I told them that I will even mobilize my network in Bali to develop the currently idle potentials in Solo. When I said that, I have already had a plan in my mind. I have figured out things to do to make them feel that someone from outside is coming at a massive extent, so they will get motivated to act quickly. I am seeing a serious potential there so it was not a bluff. If they do not do anything quickly I will. But of the do, I will be happier to establish a business cooperation with mutual benefit.
So today, two days after the event, I started with my first step. Establishing a Solo tourism website in English titled Solo Tour Guide. My plan is to make it a tourism information portal for foreigners planing to visit Solo. Later on I will invite local tourism players to use this website for their marketing purposes, free of charge. I have no intention to make money from this website, ever. People helps by making donation, I help by offering my brainchild.
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