Have you ever wanted to travel ‘Beyond Bali’ to more remote, untouched parts of Indonesia but don’t know where to start or what to expect? New social enterprise Impact Adventures BAKTI Kominfo wants to change your perceptions and introduce the world to some of Indonesia’s incredible hidden gems.
While borders have been closed, Impact Adventures has been hard at work creating new adventure travel products in remote regions of Indonesia, upskilling local tour guides, and teaching them vital tourism skills to help them promote and manage inbound tourism.
The focus during the Covid-imposed halt to international tourism for this community-based tourism platform has been to upskill local guides in their digital marketing skills by teaching them how to produce 360-degree videos and working with them to produce virtual tours of remote Indonesia.
In collaboration with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), these local guides have also received training on product development and experience design skills through a digital Adventure Travel School, the first of its kind for Indonesia, involving trainers from several countries. Several online training sessions have been managed, teaching local tour guides photography and videography techniques as well as storytelling skills, with help from professionals based in Australia.
The results of these efforts were launched this week–25 videos in four categories: Cultural Heritage Preservation, Sustainable Tourism, Biodiversity and Conservation, and Food and Culture.
The 360 videos will be hosted on Vimeo on demand and can be accessed through the website: https://www.impactadventures.travel and Vimeo.com under Indonesia in 360, priced between AU $5 to $15 for access, with 100 percent of the profits of these virtual tours to be evenly distributed to the creators of these interesting videos.
These virtual tours will take viewers to incredible and little-known cultural events such as Toraja’s Rambu Solo burial ceremony and the life of Bajau Tribe on Togean Island. Sustainable Tourism experiences featured in the 360 videos include kayaking and rafting in the world’s third-best rapids in the Asahan River, while Biodiversity and Conservation experiences are demonstrated with a virtual underwater tour of Maumere in Eastern Nusa Tenggara, and viewers can also enjoy virtual tours of Indonesia’s culinary delights with virtual cooking classes.
About Impact Adventures
Impact Adventures is a social venture and community-based tourism platform that empowers and provides direct economic benefits for local guides and community-based tourism operators in the rural and remote areas of Indonesia. Travel with us to explore lesser-known Indonesian destinations whilst creating a long-lasting impact on local economies.
BAKTI Kominfo – Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI), is an Indonesian government agency responsible for provision of Communication and Information Technology in the remote and rural areas of Indonesia, especially the frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped areas or regions in Indonesia.
