Probolinggo Wins Third Place for Best Marketing Campaign at East Java Tourism Awards

Probolinggo — The Probolinggo city government has won third place in the Best Marketing Campaign category at the 2026 East Java Tourism Marketing Award (EJTMA), following a series of tourism promotion initiatives and the expansion of its annual events calendar.

By early November 2026, the city had recorded more than 240 tourism-related events, exceeding its initial target of approximately 160.

The award, organized by the East Java Provincial Culture and Tourism Office, was presented to Muhammad Abas, head of Probolinggo’s Youth, Sports and Tourism Office, at the Cak Durasim Building in Surabaya on Wednesday (Nov. 11, 2026).

Probolinggo Mayor Aminuddin welcomed the achievement, expressing hope that it would encourage the city to strengthen its role as a tourism support hub for the Bromo Tengger Semeru region.

“We are grateful and thankful that Probolinggo City has received this outstanding recognition in tourism marketing. We hope this will motivate us to further develop the city as a supporting hub for tourism in the Bromo Tengger Semeru area,” Aminuddin said at his office on Thursday (Nov. 12, 2026).

He said tourism promotion needed to be accompanied by regular evaluations of events, better visitor data and information, and greater involvement from micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The city government had initially planned around 160 events for its 2026 tourism calendar. However, the number had risen to more than 240 by early November.

“We are evaluating the programs supporting our events calendar. We will continue developing them by involving tourism stakeholders and MSMEs so that tourism activities can make a tangible contribution to the local economy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abas explained that the Best Marketing Campaign award was based on several criteria, including creativity, campaign strength, promotional reach and the impact of initiatives in showcasing regional tourism potential.

He attributed Probolinggo’s achievement partly to several tourism marketing innovations: SI JUWITA MALAM (Sistem Informasi Kunjungan Wisatawan Mancanegara dan Dalam Negeri), a system for recording visits by domestic and international tourists; JELITA (Jelajah Wisata), a tourism exploration and information initiative; and LARASATI (Jelajah Rasa, Nikmati Seni), a program highlighting local cuisine and arts.

SI JUWITA MALAM is designed to strengthen tourism visitor data, while JELITA provides information about destinations and local tourism attractions. LARASATI, meanwhile, features regular themed activities held across the city's subdistricts.

The initiatives are supported by the distribution of the tourism events calendar through various social media platforms, making information about destinations, culinary attractions and upcoming events more accessible to the public.

“These innovations attracted the judges’ attention and helped secure our nomination for the East Java Tourism Marketing Award. The assessment involved an administrative review, a presentation of our programs and a direct inspection in Probolinggo. We are grateful to have won third place in the Best Marketing Campaign category after the judges evaluated how the city promotes and campaigns for its tourism attractions,” Abas said.

He added that the EJTMA 2026 assessment process included administrative screening, program presentations and an on-site evaluation by the judging panel in Probolinggo.

In addition to Best Marketing Campaign, the awards also featured the Best Innovative Marketing and Best Social Influence categories.

Abas said the judges had also advised the city to focus not only on increasing the number of tourism events but also on improving their quality and benefits for local communities.

In response, the Probolinggo city government plans to broaden cooperation with communities, organizations, tourism businesses and neighboring local governments.

Through stronger promotion, digital innovation and cross-sector collaboration, the city aims to enhance its tourism appeal while increasing the sector's contribution to the livelihoods and economic well-being of local residents. (red)