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
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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.