In term of the, “Wonderful Culture” criterion, Wacik explained that the diverse cultures of Indonesia, from Sabang in the west of the country to Merauke in the east, were unbeatable assets in the quest to develop tourism. Similarly, regarding “Wonderful People”, Wacik stated that the Indonesian people’s hospitality was renowned the world over and that, “Our society is 99 per cent smiles”. Similarly, Indonesia’s “Wonderful Food”, is world famous and Wacik enthused that culinary tourism was really starting to take off here. Finally the, “Wonderful Value for Money” tagline means that Indonesia remains highly competitive when compared with other popular tourist destinations.

Wacik also took the opportunity at the “Wonderful Indonesia” branding launch to announce that the 2011 Indonesian tourism theme would be, “Eco, Culture and MICE”. This theme was chosen because the tourism sector in Indonesia is increasingly concerned about the environment and the ministry aims to reflect the growing global trend in so called ecotourism. The Minister of Culture and Tourism has called on major players in the Indonesian tourism industry to continue to raise awareness of the country’s environment in order to attract eco-conscious tourists.