On 14th February 2016, leading retailer for Indonesian heritage products, Sarinah, hosted the ‘Pesona Cinta Indonesia’ event in cooperation with the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy during Jakarta’s car free day. The public event was geared towards raising public awareness about elevated safety and security conditions in Indonesia namely for the Thamrin, Central Jakarta area, which was the scene of a largely-supressed terrorist attack earlier this year. Ms Esthy Reko Astuty as Deputy Minister for Marketing Development of the Tourism Ministry as well as Sarinah’s President Director Ms Ira Puspadewi were among the senior level representatives at the event seeking to demonstrate Indonesia’s resilience in countering extremism.

Sarinah’s prime location in addition to the retailer’s specialisation in traditional heritage products is in keeping with the Tourism Ministry’s goal of further strengthening Indonesia’s international presence as a tourism destination in Southeast Asia. Utilising its social media platform, Sarinah initiated an online campaign using the #SarinahIsMe hashtag and as such invited guests to promote positive messages about Indonesia’s cultural tourism potential. Supporting this campaign were a number of local celebrities including Ms Titi DJ, Mr Giring of Nidji band, Ahmad Bersaudara, Mr Nino Graciano, and the Black Cat band, who provided live entertainment to visitors.

As a local retailer steeped in rich history, Sarinah remains dedicated to accentuating the country’s prospects as a renowned tourism destination. Through the ‘Pesona Cinta Indonesia’ event, Sarinah successfully demonstrated its standing as the home of Indonesian heritage and is thus poised to actively support future events related to the development of the Indonesia’s tourism industry.