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IN A MEETING between the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), both parties discussed plans for collaboration in developing health tourism (medical tourism) including wellness tourism in Indonesia.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno when receiving the audience of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) said that future collaborations are planned to be strengthened by a memorandum of understanding in encouraging Indonesian health tourism destinations consisting of several clusters. Namely, Indonesian Medical Tourism, Fitness Tourism, Aesthetics, Anti-Aging and Indonesian Herbs, Indonesian Medical Scientific Tourism (MICE), and Indonesian Health Sports Tourism.
“I thank and appreciate our steps in developing health tourism in Indonesia. Not only medical tourism, but also health tourism that encourages fitness, anti-aging, also encourages medical scientific MICE to be carried out in Indonesia,” said Minister Sandiaga Uno, Wednesday (2/6) at the Sapta Pesona Building, Tourism & Creative Economy Ministry Office.
He explained that medical tourism is currently one of the mainstays in attracting tourists in a number of countries. Research and market data in March 2020 stated that the potential of the global medical tourism market until 2026 is estimated to reach US$179.6 million or around IDR2580.4 trillion. However, this potential has not been maximized properly by Indonesia. Even Indonesia has not been included in the top destinations in Asia in medical tourism based on data from the Global Healthcare Resources & International Healthcare Resource Center.
“We hope that this will be a step for structural improvement because more than IDR100 trillion per year is spent abroad by health services which can actually be done in Indonesia. We must join hands to deal with strategic issues in the development of health tourism in Indonesia,” Sandiaga stated.
Sandiaga pointed out that Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry also welcomes and will encourage the formation of the Indonesian Health Tourism Board, which in the not too distant future we will sign the agreement. The Indonesian Health Tourism Council will later have many functions in making Indonesia one of the centers of world health tourism attraction.
“Among them are developing product innovations and collaborating excellent services for Indonesian health tourism and building the commitment of travel agents and event organizers as organizers of the five clusters of Indonesian health tourism concepts. Including improving packaging branding, promoting, and marketing superior services for Indonesian health tourism,” he noted.
He added that in the not too distant future we will sign an agreement to form an Indonesian Health Tourism Health Council institution.
Meanwhile, the General Chairman of IDI, Daeng M. Faqih, welcomed the government’s support, in this case the Ministry of Tourism, which would encourage the Indonesian health sector to become a tourist target. Collaborative steps in the future will have a positive impact on the development of the health sector in Indonesia, including increasing competitiveness.
“We are very grateful that all components in the government encourage and help us actually. We are ready to be part of the development of health tourism,” Daeng M. Faqih concluded. [traveltext.id]
