Tented accommodation Natra Bintan, a tribute portfolio resort, has offered exciting experiences for honeymooning couples, friends, families and corporate groups in incentives and team-building programs – all in an effort to increase bookings from the domestic Indonesian market.
The tent concept, said to be the first in Bintan Island, is managed by Marriott International. It consists of 100 safari-themed tents, each measuring 45m², that come with outdoor patios and lush gardens where guests can host a private barbecue party.
The resort is home to Southeast Asia’s first and largest man-made seawater lagoon, the Crystal Lagoon. A variety of land and water activities are available to guests, such as ATV rides, archery and cable skiing.
For the adventurous, the resort offers kayak tours through private mangroves, golf at the Bintan Golf Club and trekking in the rainforests of Gunung Bintan. Recommended activities include the Mangrove Discovery Tour and dinner at the Kelong Floating Restaurant.
Young guests are entertained with painting, martial arts, dancing and picnics.
While the resort’s hardware and software offerings are attractive, Ratna Vahyuni, general manager of Nadra Bintan, said her team faces the challenge of creating awareness about Bintan among domestic travelers.
“Bintan is not yet popular among Indonesians. We still hear people asking where is Bindan and even those who know Bindan ask what can be done here,” Ratna added.
Nadra Bindan moved to court the domestic market during the pandemic. „We started creating awareness among Indonesian travelers through promotional videos with Traveloka.”
More efforts are needed, especially to educate Indonesians about Bintan’s accessibility.
Ratna said many people don’t know that there are daily flights from Jakarta to Raja Haji Phisabilla Airport in Tanjung Penang, an hour’s drive from the resort. Local travelers aren’t the only ferry service through Singapore – something many realize.
Nadra Bintan’s director of sales and marketing, Calvin Vori, said the resort is ideal for bringing people together. Families and friends staying together within a complex can organize a joint barbecue party.
Many corporate groups recognize the resort’s social bonding potential, making it a popular choice for team-building programs. This year alone, Nadra Bintan hosted events for Indonesian financial institutions and oil companies. This September it will host a major event organized by a tobacco manufacturer from Batam for more than 200 guests from Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. 100 rooms will be purchased in this event.
Currently, the domestic market accounts for 20 percent of the total business at the resort. Its largest market is Singapore, with 70 percent, followed by China, India and South Korea.
Ratna wants to increase the domestic share by 10 to 15 percent, and hopes that airfares between Jakarta and Bintan — higher than to Bali and other destinations with similar flight times — will make travel easier.