Bintan Resorts, in partnership with Vanilla Hospitality and airline partner Air India, hosted a corporate familiarisation trip to Bintan Island in Indonesia from September 2 to 6, 2026, to promote the destination for Indian outbound corporate travel and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions)
Familiarisation programme introduces Indian corporate decision-makers to Bintan’s MICE, incentive and retreat offerings
Bintan Resorts, Vanilla Hospitality and Air India have joined forces to showcase Bintan in Indonesia as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and corporate retreats, hosting a familiarisation trip for Indian corporate decision-makers from September 2 to 6, 2026.
The programme brought together senior representatives from companies across sectors including pharmaceuticals, life sciences, energy, manufacturing, consumer goods, aviation, hospitality, travel services and event management.
The initiative was designed to give participants first-hand exposure to Bintan’s resort infrastructure, meeting facilities, dining options and group activities, while demonstrating how the island can be incorporated into corporate events, employee engagement programmes, leadership retreats and off-site meetings.
Bintan targets India’s corporate travel market
Located in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago, Bintan has developed a substantial resort infrastructure geared towards leisure as well as MICE and incentive travel.
Bintan Resorts’ official tourism platform promotes the destination for management meetings, conventions, incentive programmes, events and weddings. Its accommodation portfolio includes a range of international and regional hospitality brands, while the destination also offers golf, wellness, nature, water sports and other activities that can be incorporated into group itineraries.
The familiarisation programme allowed the Indian delegation to assess these facilities directly and consider how Bintan’s different products could be used for corporate programmes.
Singapore provides an international gateway
One of Bintan’s key advantages for international groups is its proximity to Singapore.
Bintan Resorts operates a regular high-speed ferry connection between Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal in Bintan. The crossing takes approximately 60 minutes, according to the destination’s official information.
The combination of international air access through Singapore and onward ferry connectivity gives corporate groups the option of combining a major regional aviation hub with an island-based event or incentive programme.
For Indian corporate travellers, this model can support itineraries that begin with international air travel to Singapore before continuing by ferry to Bintan.
Business programmes combined with leisure experiences
The familiarisation programme highlighted the possibility of combining formal business sessions with activities outside the meeting environment.
Bintan Resorts’ MICE offering includes facilities for company retreats, meetings and team-building programmes, alongside activities such as water sports, nature experiences, golf and spa treatments.
This combination is increasingly relevant to corporate groups seeking destinations where meetings can be integrated with employee engagement, wellness and recreational activities.
Bintan’s resort portfolio also provides a variety of accommodation formats, from beachfront properties and villas to larger hotels suitable for group travel.
First-hand experience for corporate planners
The trip formed part of Vanilla Engage, an initiative by Vanilla Hospitality designed to connect corporate decision-makers with destinations and hospitality partners through direct destination experiences.
Farhat Samuel Roberts, Head of Sales & Strategic Partnerships at Vanilla Hospitality, said first-hand exposure was important in helping corporate planners assess destinations and understand how their facilities could be incorporated into future programmes.
The approach moves beyond conventional destination presentations by allowing potential buyers to experience accommodation, meeting facilities, activities and logistics before considering them for corporate groups.
Collaboration across tourism sectors
The initiative also highlights the role of collaboration between destinations, hospitality companies and airlines in developing new corporate travel markets.
For Bintan Resorts, engagement with Indian corporate buyers provides an opportunity to strengthen awareness of its MICE infrastructure in a major outbound market. For Indian travel and event planners, destination familiarisation programmes can provide practical information on accommodation capacity, meeting spaces, group activities and transportation logistics.
Air India’s participation adds an aviation component to the initiative, linking the destination’s promotion with the broader travel journey from India to Southeast Asia.
Air India currently markets Indonesia among its international destinations, while its website lists Indonesia within its Southeast Asia network.
Bintan broadens its international tourism profile
Bintan has continued to attract international visitors through a combination of resort tourism, sporting events, wellness and leisure experiences.
The destination welcomed international visitors from markets including India during the first international arrivals of 2026, according to Bintan Resorts. The destination also hosted the 2026 Tour de Bintan, which attracted 800 registered participants from 42 countries.
The destination’s recent tourism activity illustrates its efforts to develop multiple segments beyond conventional resort holidays.
For the Indian market, the MICE segment offers another avenue for expanding visitor flows, particularly among companies seeking international destinations for conferences, incentive trips, leadership programmes and employee retreats.
India remains a focus for Bintan’s MICE growth
The September familiarisation programme underlines the potential for Bintan to gain greater visibility among Indian corporate travel planners.
Its combination of resort accommodation, meeting infrastructure, outdoor activities and access through Singapore gives the destination a product mix suited to different types of corporate programmes.
The next stage will depend on converting the exposure generated by the familiarisation trip into actual group business, incentive programmes and corporate events.
For Bintan Resorts and its partners, direct engagement with Indian decision-makers provides an opportunity to build that pipeline while giving corporate travel planners a closer understanding of what the destination can offer.
