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THE Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy invites world dive tourism players to prepare promotional strategies to deal with projected increases in the performance of the tourism sector after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
According to the Deputy of Tourism Products and Activities (Events), Tourism Ministry, Rizki Handayani in her statement in Bali, Tuesday (12/10) at the opening of the webinar Indonesia Dive Tourism Market Updates 2020 said Indonesian dive tourism destinations are a popular destination for domestic tourists. and foreign countries to carry out diving tourism activities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the dive tourism industry.
“As an effort to activate and revive the tourism industry, especially diving tourism, we encourage dive tourism businesses in Indonesia and globally to apply health protocols based on the guidelines that have been prepared,” Rizki said.
She explained that Indonesia itself has applied health protocol guidelines based on Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE). In addition to minimizing the spread of COVID-19, this guide aims to make diving tourism in Indonesia meet safety standards and gain confidence in the health aspects of domestic and foreign dive tourists, so it is hoped that the diving tourism industry in Indonesia can revive.
“For that we (Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry) holding this webinar so that we can also find out about dive tourism health protocol guidelines in other countries so that we can work together in facing the challenges ahead in this diving tour. It is hoped that all world dive tourism businesses are ready to start diving tourism activities by paying attention to the situation in the era of adaptation to new habits by strictly implementing the CHSE protocol,” Rizki noted.
Once again, she continued, the most important of all is the discipline of dive tourism businesses and the community in carrying out health protocols.
Rizki also said that after the pandemic ends, the tourism sector is predicted to experience a change in tourism trends, which can carry the principles of sustainable tourism, including a focus on health and safety issues.
Meanwhile, Paul Tosh Tanned, Territory Director of PADI, said that if we look at the glorious year of the diving tourism industry in Indonesia, year on year (yoy) experienced tremendous growth in 2005 to 2019, especially for Lembeh Island, Manado. These special interest tourists come from China, Australia, Great Britain, Germany and local tourists.
“For this reason, PADI Indonesia has implemented a good health protocol for staffs and guests quite strictly, including regarding the health of tourists. Related to this, there are various general things, such as washing hands, maintaining distance, and measuring body temperature. Meanwhile, the specific guide explains more specific things, applies to dive tourism businesses, workers, customers or tourists, activities, and management of dive tourism business places,” Paul Tosh stressed.
He added, the thing that is very confident for us is that we have found 250 new diving spots that can become amazing diving tourism destinations, and I think Indonesia can become the center of world diving tourism destinations because all dive spots have their own uniqueness and beauty.
Likewise, according to Brian & Jill Miller, Travel Specialists, USA, said that before the pandemic, many US tourists have been traveled to Indonesia for diving tours, but during this pandemic they mostly canceled trips. Even if there are, they do dive tours in Florida and Mexico. Meanwhile, Mark Solf, Founder of Aquaventure, Germany said that as a special tour operator for diving tours we have brought 80% -85% of German tourists to Indonesia, in 2019 we brought 32,000 tourists, but in 2020 only 6000 German tourists dived in Indonesia. [traveltext.id]
