ER
THE Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has predicted a decrease in foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as it did in other countries.
According to the Spokesman of the Ministry of Tourism’s COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Ari Juliano Gema in his statement in Jakarta, explained, the Ministry had prepared steps and strategies to anticipate the decline in foreign tourists by preparing a new life order protocol in the tourism sector that had been prepared. The protocol will later be applied when an area has been declared ready to return to receive tourists.
“President Joko Widodo has instructed not to be hasty. In the recovery period, we will first focus on encouraging the mobilization of domestic tourists. For that all must be prepared first before returning to welcome tourists. Of course, by looking at the readiness of each region. We have coordinated with several regional heads whose regions are most ready to receive tourists and start implementing this protocol,” he said.
He added that the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded 160,000 people visiting foreign tourists to Indonesia in April 2020. When compared with the number of foreign tourists in March 2020 means the number of foreign tourists decreased by 66.02% (mom). Meanwhile, if compared with the current position with the same period in 2019, the number has decreased to 87.44% (yoy) or 1.27 million people.
During that period the number of foreign tourists visiting was dominated by tourists from East Timor who were recorded visiting as many as 83 thousand in April. That number reached 52.2% of total foreign tourists. Meanwhile, the rest came from Malaysia as much as 62 thousand or 39%, Singapore 2 thousand or 1.3%, and other 12 thousand visits or 7.5%.
This figure, said Ari Juliano, has been estimated considering the steps of the Indonesian government and also the government of the countries of potential foreign donors to Indonesia who decided to close access to and out of the country in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“To reopen tourism, it is necessary to apply standard procedures in public facilities that aim to further discipline the public regarding health protocols in the tourism sector. So when it reopens, tourists will feel comfortable coming to Indonesia,” he noted.
The protocol, continued Ari Juliano, will be in line with and adapt to the new life order that has been prepared by the Ministry of Health will be disseminated massively to the public so that people know what to do both about keeping distance, about wearing masks, about washing hands, and not crowding in numbers a lot. It is hoped that public awareness regarding discipline and health protocols will continue to increase and the spread of COVID-19 can be suppressed.
“This is part of the steps to ensure the readiness of the community in carrying out a new life order that will drive the national economy including tourism and the creative economy,” he said.
The Ministry of Tourism is preparing a Cleanliness, Health and Safety (CHS) program which will be implemented in various tourist destinations in the country. The main goal is not only to prepare a destination that is better in accordance with the standardization of tourist needs in the new normalcy later, but also in applying discipline to the community.
This is in line with the Government’s target so that public awareness of discipline and health protocols continues to increase.
“Going forward, Tourism Ministry is focused on working on the quality tourism segment, which emphasizes the level of foreign exchange earnings rather than attracting mass tourists or mass tourism along with changing global tourism trends,” Ari Juliano concluded. [traveltext.id]
