Revisiting Ferry Tourism Development in Indonesia †.

As a specific form of water transport that involves a simultaneous carriage of passengers and cargo, the function of a ferry to bridge one area to another is threatened by the fast growth of air transport, which is not only faster and more convenient but also often cheaper than traveling by ferry. The objective of this paper is to identify market expectations of ferry services and to identify the opportunity for ferry tourism development in Indonesia. This paper is a market survey of 103 ferry passengers in seven locations in Indonesia: Merak, Bakauheni, Bayuwangi, Bali, Batam, Labuan Bajo, and Lake Toba. Data analysis uses descriptive statistics to identify customers' top-of-mind opinions. The results show that the market prefers extended digital platforms to co-create their experience, both in ferry services and their trips, shortened route ferries to enrich their experience on multi-transportation facilities, while providing more entertainment and recreational facilities on longer routes, as well as instagrammable spots, both on the ferry or in the terminal. There are also collaboration opportunities with sports and other communities to cater to weekenders to create island-hopping events on weekends. The conclusion is that ferry operators should conduct market surveys periodically to understand their markets and their requirements to cope with the ever-changing marketplace. In addition, co-creating products with community customers and product development innovations is the solution to make ferry tourism relevant to current and future demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]