MINISTRY IS TARGETING TOURISM FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO REACH US$10 BILLION

THE INDONESIAN Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is targeting foreign exchange for Indonesia’s tourism sector to reach US$10 billion in 2023.

According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno when opening the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI) National Working Meeting in Jakarta, Tuesday (5/23), 2023 said yes, an increase from the initial US$6 billion. With the latest data, we get a target of almost US$10 billion.

“The foreign exchange achievement target is expected to be boosted, one of which is through increasing the number of flights so as to be able to attract foreign tourist visits with a 2023 target of 8.5 million foreign tourist visits to Indonesia.

Sandiaga is confident that this target will be achieved, considering that in the first quarter of this year there were 2.25 million foreign tourist visits. With this visit, he is also optimistic that tourism foreign exchange earnings will be above the government’s target.

Then in the creative economy sector, Sandiaga targets this year to contribute US$26.46 billion with an added economic value of IDR1,279 trillion, and to be able to create 45 million new jobs in the tourism and creative economy sectors.

The Tourism Minsiter on this occasion also invited GIPI as the front guard to present direct flights to Indonesia so that more foreign tourists would come to the country. This is because Indonesia’s connectivity is still lagging behind, so it needs to be encouraged to provide direct flights to a number of tourist destinations.

On the same occasion, GIPI Chairman Haryadi Sukamdani revealed that his party would encourage direct flights between them from China and India.

“If we open direct flights, there is a lot of potential, but from the traffic records, one of them is coming from India, China also wants direct. So, we are encouraging direct flights,” he said.

Until now, flights originating from Singapore hubs, countries in the Middle East region, and Hong Kong still contribute to Indonesia and still dominate. [sources/photo special]