Introduction
The science of the tourism industry is very complex, in
which there are many disciplines that support tourism, among others, economics,
communication, marketing, transportation and so on. Every science that supports
tourism has its own roles, and each other is intertwined. In the tourism
industry is always a manjadi supply and demand, each other needs each other,
because with both activities tourism can happen. The object being supply in
this study are all elements of both natural and artificial, where its position
is crucial in the absence of it then tourism activities can not run with as
comfortable as it should be. Therefore, it is important for tour and travel has
a good distribution channel flow in order to provide satisfaction to consumers
in this case tourists. Distribution channel is part of the tourism element,
which has a function as a system of tourism industry. A tourism distribution
channel is an intermediary system, or intermediary, that facilitates the sales
and delivery of tourism services from suppliers to consumers (Buhalis &
Law, 2001). Salur and tourism distribution has attracted a large amount of
attention in the past decade because with their important role playing in the
tourism industry (Pearce & Schott, 2005). In particular, distribution
channels can function as part of a marketing mix that makes products available
to consumers, as a link between the producers of tourism products and their
'end' consumers, and bridges the anteueries and demand (Gartner & Bachri,
1994). The structure of the distribution system of the tourism industry does
not only affect the choices available to consumers, but also the business
models and marketing strategies adopted by various channel participants (Pearce
et al., 2004). The impact of information technology since the advent of the
World Wide Web has changed significantly and even changed the structure of
tourism distribution (Buhalis & Law, 2001; Wang & Qualls, 2007)
.Internet could be a powerful tool The Internet can work to improve the scope
and reach of consumers and allowing someone to check hundreds of options or
research the destination in depth. But making the internet work effectively,
one must understand what to see and what to ask, so as not to waste time and
produce unsatisfactory results when surfing the internet. This is where the
role of travel agents will make the world different (R. Geoldner and J. R.
Brent Ritchie, 2009). Travel agent according to The European Commission has
defined travel agents as retailers to leisure andbusiness travelers, selling
flights (charter or scheduled), accommodation, car hire, foreign currency,
travel insurance and other travel services (in Charles R. Goeldner and J. R.
Brent Ritchie, 2009 p 594). Then the task of travel agents is to mangatur
departure and facilitate the consumer in this case tourists supayamendapatkan
comfort and security when traveling.Papaparan literature occurs in the
situation in America, while in Indonesia the concept of tourism distribution
channels far different from what is in the regulatory model made by the
government as well as with existing concepts. This phenomenon becomes
interesting to be discussed in this paper. Where if in Indonesia not all of tourists
or travelers use services travel agent , and many functions travel agent which is
different from its original function, not only selling packages but also
selling tickets. This is the complexity of tourism distribution channels that
exist in Indonesia
Tourism Distribution
Channels in Indonesia
Travel Agents
Charles R. Goeldner and J. R. Brent Ritchie (2009) define
travel agents as intermediaries-a business or person selling the travel
industry's individual parts or a combination of the parts to the consumer. In
marketing terms, a travel agent is an agent middleman, acting on behalf of the
client, making arrangements with suppliers of travel (airlines, hotels, tour
operators) and receiving a commission from the suppliers and / or a fee from
the client .. Meanwhile, according to The European Commission has defined
travel agents as retailers to leisure and business travelers, selling flights
(charter or scheduled), accommodation, car hire, foreign currency, travel
insurance and other travel services. From the above understanding can be
concluded that travel agents in the United States is basically an intermediary
who sells travel services to consumers, and receive commissions from suppliers
and or from consumers.
• Agency Sales and Income Entry or
income from the travel agency is obtained from the sales commission. The commissions
are obtained from various suppliers and wholesalers, including cruise lines,
tour operators, hotels, car rentals, trains, attractions, entertainments ,.
Etc., the main income source of booking airline.
Tour wholesaler
Tour wholesaler often also called tour operator, function as
a wholesaler, sell products from suppliers to travel agents. Tour wholesaler
sells its package cheaply below the normal price to the organizer buyer Tour
wholesaler is usually one of four types: (1) independent wholesale tour operator,
(2) the airline works closely with the wholesale tour business, (3) the retail
travel agent tour packages for clients, and (4) motorcoach tour operators. The
four entities, along with incentive travel companies and travel clubs, are made
up of industry.
• Motorcoach Brokers. Usually
referred to as buses, but motorcoach is designed to provide greater comfort for
long distance travel, in contrast to the typical mass transit bus used in the
city. Motorcoaches, unlike city buses, usually have toilets, chairs for soft
layers, music, and air conditioning.
Speciality Channelers
Specialty intermediaries include several organizations,
namely; incentive travel firms, business meeting and convention planners,
corporate travel offices, association executives, hotel representatives, travel
consultants, trade shows, and supplier sales offices. Although the specialty
intermediaries are small in comparison with travel agencies, they have the
power to influence when, where and how one should travel. With the existence of
specialty intermediaries buyers and sellers can be represented, because of the
grouping of the market in accordance with the needs.
• Incentive Travel Firms According
to the Society of Incentives & Travel Executives (SITE): 'A global
management tool that uses and excludes travel experience to motivate and / or
recognize the participants for achievement levels in support of organizational
goals.' So in essence incentive travel firms is a global management tool to
motivate participants of a company to improve performance to support the goals
of the organization / company.
• Meeting and Convention Planners
Some meeting planners have the authority as Professional Congress Organizers
(PCOs) or Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs), hold membership in organizations
such as International Meetings and Planners, a venue that serves as a
professional and educational resource for those who manage meetings .
The System Distribution Channels
1. One-stage system
is a direct sales system of the main supplier by doing travel service to
tourists. An example is selling airline tickets directly to customers through
their own sales and ordering department. The benefits gained from a one-stop
system for sellers and buyers are as follows:
- simplicity: a one-stage system is immediate and
negates third party intervention. Sellers and buyers can easily decide the
order or change between them. If a travel intermediary is involved, most
decisions will require prior confirmation and various data collection.
- additional sale oppurtunities: the ability to speak
directly to tourists so as to provide the supplier with the opportunity to
upgrade, sell additional services, and make advance reservations for return
trips or subsequent bookings.
- flexibilty: most of the travelers follow their travel
itinerary with their familiar places, Travelers who do not have a fixed
itinerary have a chance to change the itinerary at the last minute.
- greater profitability to supplier: individual tourists who
buy directly from suppliers provide greater income than those using an
intermediary. This is especially true when a travel agent can provide greater
gross receipts because of its volume to suppliers, but net income per customer
or income will decrease after deducting commissions.
- personal control over the sale: In some cases, individual
tourists are wary of travel agents because of a nationally published story
about travelers stranded abroad when travel agents unknowingly book trips
through unscrupulous tour operators.
- management of key accounts: travel industry companies
generally recognize the legality of the Pareto 80/20 rule, stating that the
majority of the company's business will earn from a minority of its customers.
2. Two-stage system
In the process of this two-stage system involves a single intermediary - travel
agent, for example- the process of supplier and tourist interaction. Before the
product is received by the wisatan, first processed by travel agent, then
passed to the consumer. The advantages of the second stage system of the
distribution channel are as follows:
- professional assistance: The buyer gets help from a
competent travel professional and can provide personal feedback and advice,
often saving time and money on the process.
- multiple options: unlike a one-stage system, travelers can
get information about various products and services through one intermediary.
- free or low cost assistance: in this two-stage system, it
is advantageous for tourists because it can save money for accommodation and
transpotation costs, because the travel agent has already put those costs into
the package, and certainly the price is cheaper.
- cumulative group power: middlemen generally have more
influence over suppliers than tourists. The influence of suppliers is very
important during the holiday season. The intermediary is responsible for
hundreds of thousands of dollars in business for a hotel, airline, or cruise
ship with considerable influence.
- travel clubs: serves as a member of the two-tier system,
providing members with lucrative travel discounts.
- travel consolidators: is a private company that obtains
discounts on unsold seats for a certain amount and sells them directly to the
public for a low price.
- single charge billing: the process of paying for some
travel services is simplified through an agent. Agents can bill payments to
clients for all services, including land transportation, lodging, restaurants,
and entertainment packages on a single bill.
- out of town assistance: some travel intermediaries have
several branches, even extending to foreign countries. Others have offshore
branches or overseas affiliates. travelers who may experience difficulties
while traveling can often find help through branch or affiliate offices.
- sales force without overhead: the main advantage offered
by travel intermediaries to suppliers is that they serve as salespeople without
overhead to suppliers. Abolition of overheads greatly helps small suppliers who
are not national sales capabilities or around the world.
- credit and billing assistance to suppliers: travel
intermediaries can facilitate credit and billing functions from suppliers, by
running credit checks on clients, processing credit card bills, and sending
payments to a single supplier.
- off season promotions: intermediaries often assist
suppliers in creating new business by developing year-end travel packages.
3. Three-stage system
on this system usually involves two intermediaries, usually retail travel
agents and wholesalers or tour operators. An airline or cruise may provide travel
services packages, including lodging, transportation, and ground transfer
(taxis, buses, etc.). The packages can be sold through wholesalers who can
offer hundreds of travel agents who are ready to sell them to individual
travelers. This system provides tourists and suppliers with the same benefits
as the two-stage system. Additional benefits come from travel services
purchased in bulk at discounted rates by wholesalers. With a three-stage
system, travelers in general can get travel packages at low prices or packages
tailored to the wishes of tourists.
4. The four stage
system of the fourth stage system follows the pattern of the three stages
of the distribution process, but has an addition, the speciality channeler,
involved in customizing the tour package. To illustrate the distribution of a
four-stage system, take the case of a university group planning for a study
abroad in a foreign country. The group may first express interest in study
abroad. Study groups, including academic interest focus, and recommend initial
travel, suitable accommodation, overseas contacts, and other arrangements.
After consultation with the group, the overseas study of the office can then
distribute tour purchases through retail travel agents that will make direct
group and tariff flight arrangements, at the same time, be able to contact with
a tour operator in a specific foreign country to handle the details of the
remaining schedule study of the group. The benefits derived from the specialty
channeler are to create an arrangement of events for the group and provide
professional based referrals to build programs that can satisfy the needs of
the group and appropriate and safe assistance in the service of reliable
suppliers.
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
1. Water Transport
In terms of its activities, in sea transport there are 2
types of transport:
- regular lines and
- irregular lines or row charters
according to the scope of operation are distinguished as
follows:
(a). International line: international shipping carrying
passengers or goods from one country to another, such as the Holland American
lines, with its cruises carrying European tourists to America and other places.
(b). Inter Insular Line: ie domestic shipping carrying
passengers or inter island goods within a country. Indonesian sea freight
companies that fall into this category are PT. Pelni. This company serves
passenger transportation in the country.
(c). Ferry: a crossing ship that can carry passengers along
with their cars from an island to another island by the strait. But besides
that also the use of ferry is also used for river penyebrangi.
(d). Traditional ship such as phinisi ship
(e). Cruise ship
2. Land
transportation
(a). Train
(b). Bus: This type of vehicle is widely used between
cities, between provinces and even between islands. In some big cities like
Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Medan buses used for urban transport, and lazaim
called city buses. Some freight companies currently provide many bus services
from Jakarta to cities in Sumatra, Java and Bali. The usual inter-provincial
buses are equipped with convenience facilities such as toilets, air
conditioners (AC), and others.
(c). Taxi: Taxis are available almost all airports,
seaports, railway stations and hotels throughout Indonesia.
(d). Microlet / Oplet / Bemo: microlet / oplet is a term for
public transportation in the city and its surroundings, especially in Jakarta.
Type of vehicle used usually with a capacity of about 10-12 people. In Bandung
the type of transport is called colt. In Ujung Pandang and surrounding areas
are called city taxis or pete-pete.
(e). Motorcycle
(f). Becak: This type of vehicle that uses human power can
be found in cities in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. In Medan beca equipped motor
drive, so do not use human power. This type of vehicle is connected to other
places that are not too far apart.
(g). Dokar / Bendi: this transport tool uses horsepower to
move it, mostly found in the city of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, in the
district city. This vehicle is a public transport within the city. Dokar
usually has a capacity of 5 passengers.
3. Air Transport
Area of Indonesia is very vast and composed of many
islands where there are still many places or areas that have not been available
means of land transportation such as highways, the air transportation becomes
very important because with air transportation we can control the entire
territory in the ground air is not with the exception of remote areas. In terms
of the area, the air transport in Indonesia there are 2 types of flights are:
- International flights (international flights) and
- Domestic flights (domestic flights)
While in terms of activity, there are two types of flights:
- scheduled flights (scheduled flights) and
- unscheduled flights (unscheduled airlines)
Scheduled flights in its operations are determined by the
"scheduled time" it has made for a specified period of time. So the
airline is dependent on the provisions he has made, of course he can not
replace or secret kebarangkatan, not full passenger plane. With flight
schedules, on unscheduled or unscheduled flights, its operation does not depend
on "scheduled time" of course. So the plane's flight depends on its trademark.
Part of the unscheduled domestic flight is as follows:
- charter flight –
air taxi (aircraft
with seats no more than 15 seats)
Branding
Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ir. Jero Wacik SE, said
that starting in 2011 Indonesian tourism is marketed with a new branding
"Wonderful Indonesia". Many are asking why Wonderful Indonesia?
Minister Jero Wacik explained that the branding is based on some facts about
the attractiveness of tourism, - which we all already understand - namely:
1.Wonderful Nature. The fact shows that Indonesia's nature
is very rich in its beauty as well as the various products of the earth and the
sea. From the start of the top of the mountain to the deepest seafloor, and
from island to island stretching from the West to the east, it contains natural
resources and beauty as a tremendous tourism potential, unmatched.
2.Wonderful Culture. Likewise, the culture that we have
exhibits its diversity along with the diversity of the nation from Sabang to
Merauke, in terms of art and culture, customs, language, style and way of life,
which is difficult to be matched by any country in the world.
3.Wonderful People. The life of a tolerant, warm-hearted
Indonesian nation that always adorns his face, coupled with democratic life is
one of "strength" (strength) for our tourism in relation to a
Hospitality Industry.
4.Wonderful Food. Equally important is the potential that we
have in terms of diversity of food from traditional to international dishes
that can be served for the tourists as our "guest". Not only in terms
of diversity of food, but also in the presentation of various settings from one
island to another island and from one type of food to other foods throughout the
country.
5.Wonderful Value for Money. On top of that, one thing
everyone, is very concerned with the value of money, especially that he spent
during his visit in Indonesia.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2009 assessment,
in terms of price competitiveness Indonesia ranks third in the world after
Egypt and Brunei Darussalam. This is another "power" - in addition to
the above-mentioned forces, which must be maintained in the face of competition
in global tourism competition. Basically the element depicted in
"Wonderful Indonesia" branding is not much different from the
previous branding, The Ultimate in Diversity, which is freely translated as
"Unequal Diversity". All that is according to our judgment. Market
appraisal will be different, for example the assessment of the World Economic
Forum.
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