PegiPegi Launches, Aims to Help Boost Local Travel Industry

PegiPegi, a brand-new Indonesian online travel store, launched a few days ago at an event in Jakarta. Three companies – PT. Alternative Media Group, Altavindo, and Japan’s Recruit Co. – have joined forces to create Go Online Destination (GOLD). The companies are making an effort to participate in improving the tourism and e-commerce sectors in Indonesia. It comes just a few days after the official launch of rival site Tiket.

The launch of PegiPegi.com was overseen by Indonesia’s minister of tourism herself, Mari Elka Pangestu. She noted the great possibilities for developing this space:

We plan to boost local travelers because it is a very lucrative market, and has huge potential for the improvement of tourism and the creative economy. The total number of trips made by local travelers has reached 245 million – that number will keep increasing as middle-income families keep getting higher payrolls.

PegiPegi – which, says the press release, has 36 billion IDR ($4 million) in capital – is hoping to make the hotel reservation process easier and at the same time provide competitive prices as well. Davy Makimian, the CEO of PegiPegi, said at the launch event:

We are really proud to be able to do this. Hopefully with the launch of PegiPegi.com it can be an important part of Indonesia’s tourism industry and at the same time making the government’s plan a success by optimizing local travelers and the creative economy potential.

After e-payment startups flooded onto Indonesia’s startup scene, now we’re starting to see more and more travel startups as well. The afore-mentioned Tiket launched just last week, and I’ve heard a rumor there will be another local travel site that’ll launch this month as well. This trend, if it continues, will likely be a good thing for the industry as a whole.