Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine August 2016 | Page 135

Garuda Indonesia TOURISM 3.0: ENJOY, EXPERIENCE, ENGAGE By Hermawan Kartajaya, Founder and Chairman of MarkPlus, Inc. Cruising on the Blue Danube River with Viking River Cruises was a very impressive experience for me. Last month, I did it during the Lebaran holiday for a week. Starting from Budapest, the capital of Hungary, the longship navigated along the river, stopping at several cities in Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, before finally concluding the journey in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. In Budapest, I enjoyed Buda (the cultural side) and Pest (the cosmopolitan side) of the city. One of the optional tours that I really enjoyed was the ‘Best of the Best’ – a culinary walking tour. Our guide for the tour was a local expert who invited us to visit and taste a variety of foods and beverages at the Grand Market Hall. Afterwards, we dropped by a local bakery, a local standing-lunch place, a local ice-cream parlour, and a local winery! In Croatia, I had a chance to enjoy a small concert in a local church, and in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, I experienced a local folk-song-and-dance street parade. I also engaged in a conversation with local dance group members who performed on the ship. And, finally in Bucharest, I got to really enjoy, experience and engage with the Old Town. I noticed several differences before and after joining my Viking River ‘Passage to Eastern Europe’ cruise. First, Eastern Europe is not boring compared to Western Europe, as many tourists assume. Second, there were so many Eastern cultural tourism elements that I don’t think I could find in Western Europe. Third, the historical presence of Mongolians in the region and the influence of communism from the the Soviet Union 131 and elsewhere have had a significant and unique cultural impact on Eastern Europe. Europe’s second-largest river, the Blue Danube, doesn’t have blue water. However, this did not upset me at all. Why? Because I really enjoyed the nature and culture of several important destinations in Eastern Europe. Enjoyment is for Tourism 1.0. I also experienced the natural scenery and cultural elements during my trip. Experience is for Tourism 2.0. And most importantly, I engaged myself during my trip to Eastern Europe. Engagement is for Tourism 3.0 I love travelling, because I always enjoy, experience and engage during my trip. After my travels, I always become a ‘higher-level person’ armed with new, better knowledge, a better world-view and greater humanity.