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THE TOURISM Working Group (TWG) of the G20 in 2022 which will take place in Indonesia focuses on advancing the tourism sector and the creative economy by promoting tourism resilience.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the working group that was composed had identified the main issue, namely strengthening the community as agents of change for tourism transformation.
“This WG will focus on empowering the community through further development for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and community-based tourism such as tourist villages, creative villages and equitable programs,” he said at the G20 TWG Kick Off Meeting which was monitored virtually, Jakarta, Monday (2/14).
Sandiaga hopes that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and every tourism minister from various countries involved in the G20 will agree on guidelines for strengthening communities and MSMEs as agents of transformation of community-centered tourism recovery.
This group activity is considered a good collaboration to synergize the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy with other ministries/agencies to fight for the national interest.
“We must become a consensus builder so that ideas or outcome documents that can be accepted from all G20 members must later refer to the three pillars of the President’s direction (Joko Widodo), namely inclusive health, digital transformation, and energy transmission,” said the Menparekraf.
On the same occasion, he stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had created challenges for the tourism sector so that the number of foreign tourists globally in 2020 decreased by 1 billion or around 74% compared to the previous year. Likewise, the impact at the national level threatens the livelihoods of 34 million people who depend on the tourism sector and the creative economy.
In this case, the Ministry of tourism puts forward a strategy of innovation, adaptation, and collaboration in responding to shifting trends that focus on quality tourism with the concept of customize, localize, personalize, and smaller in size.
Currently, he continued, the tourism and creative economy sectors also prioritize the development of sustainable tourism based on memory and experience as well as ecotourism principles with a carbon calculator (carbon footprint) and carbon offset (carbon offset) that must be developed. In addition, the Ministry also supports the development and capacity building of human resources.
With this TWG, Sandiaga hopes that stakeholders will compete with each other to hold various events that support the G20 and provide active support for Indonesia’s economic recovery.
“The year 2022 will be an annus mirabilis or an amazing and hopeful year for the world, especially the tourism sector and the creative economy,” he said.
The appointment of Indonesia as the G20 presidency presents discussions in two meeting paths, one of which is the Sherpa Track which discusses non-financial economic issues, including tourism. [antaranews/photo special]
