ER
TOURISM is one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The massive virus attack made many countries and regions impose quarantine, entry restrictions, and other forms of restrictions on citizens and tourists.
Business travel was disrupted. Aviation activities, hotels, tourist areas and attractions, culinary services, and other tourism-related businesses are almost paralyzed. These last days, we have not witnessed symptoms of recovery from the condition of ‘suspended animation’.
Data of the World Tourism Organization predicts a decline in international tourist activity this year by more than 30%. Tourism activities in various parts of the world are also estimated to drop to 90%. In order to avoid COVID-19 exposure, various tourist attractions ranging from museums, amusement parks, recreational parks, and various entertainment centers were closed.
The same trend is also taking place in Indonesia. Bali, as Indonesia’s main destination, refers to data from the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association from February to April, suffering potential losses of up to US$9 billion or equivalent to IDR135 trillion. It happened due to Chinese and Australian tourists who became the largest market to stop activities to the Island of the Gods.
Other destinations in the country are also not an exception to the downward trend and cessation of tourism activities. If that continues, the death of the tourism industry in the country is just a matter of time. That condition certainly cannot be left.
In this difficult situation, there must be a breakthrough so that the tourism sector is stretched again. This sector must begin to move and be productive when the pandemic cannot be fully overcome. Therefore, we appreciate the steps of President Joko Widodo to encourage the tourism sector to remain productive in difficult times.
In a limited cabinet meeting recently, the President asked the tourism industry to prepare a new concept on a new or normal normal order. We agree with the President’s direction. In order to survive, the tourism industry must adapt to pandemic conditions. If the pandemic situation in the new era of normalcy requires everyone to implement health protocols, the tourism industry must adopt the provisions in packaging services.
New standards, new habits, and new cultures in the tourism sector must be developed so that appropriate and satisfying new tourism products can be created and offered to new-era tourists. Solo travel tours, wellness tours, virtual tours, and stay tours are tourism products that can be referred to as examples of vacation alternatives that are predicted to be sold in the new normal era.
We believe that other more creative and solutive tourism products can be created by our tourism industry with their respective comparative and competitive advantages. As directed by the President, keywords from the new normal era tourism products are very concerned about health, hygiene, safety and security issues.
The principle of complying with health protocols must not be abandoned in the packaging of services. The habit of keeping a distance, avoiding the crowd, always wearing a mask, diligently washing hands must be able to be packaged as an inseparable part in one tourist product.
We support the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts to develop all the principles and protocols as new standards for the tourism industry. With this new standard, creative guidelines are expected to be born. Coupled with the spirit of unrelenting we believe our tourism will survive and sustain in the new normal era. [mediaindonesia.com/photo special]
