ER
IT IS confirmed that the government’s policy to officially enforce quarantine free for Overseas Travelers for Indonesian Citizens and Foreign Citizens from a number of countries to Bali, Batam and Bintan starting today, including the re-imposition of Visas On Arrival (VOA), will have a positive impact on the development of the tourism sector. and the creative economy.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, in the “Weekly Press Briefing” which was held in a hybrid manner from the Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Monday (3/07) said especially this year Indonesia will host various international events such as the 2022 MotoGP, G20 Presidency, World Tourism Day and more.
“We are targeting the number of foreign tourists this year to be 1.8 million to 3.6 million. But with this policy, hopefully we can revise this number. Therefore, let’s support all the smooth running of this trial and hopefully Indonesia can rise up soon. This is a signal of our economic revival to open up business and job opportunities,” said Sandiaga.
Sandiaga said this policy is a step by the government in responding to any existing developments based on data.
“So, it is hoped that the program or policy is right on target, has the right benefits, and above all is on time. And we together with other ministries/agencies are also preparing our transition to a new economy,” said Sandiaga.
He explained that the new economy is a digital-based, health-based economy, which ensures the excellence of human resources, is equitable, which opens up opportunities to the tourism village and creative village levels. So that Indonesia can become a quality destination that prioritizes environmental sustainability aspects.
Sandiaga ensures that the policies taken by the government are based on data and input from experts and epidemiologists. Where the number of people who are fully vaccinated and booster and the level of transmission of COVID-19 in Bali, Batam and Bintan is under control.
In addition to the quarantine-free policy and the re-imposition of visa on arrival, the government has also revised the travel requirements for air and other transportation. For people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in full doses, the requirements for negative antigen or PCR tests are no longer enforced.
“Don’t forget domestic tourists as our potential, who for the past 2 years have supported the tourism sector and the creative economy with 34 million jobs. This policy was taken to ensure that not only prioritize health but also start to open up new opportunities so that the economy of the community which has been under heavy contraction for 2 years began to stretch. And this will also boost economic growth in the region, including welcoming Ramadan and Eid,” he noted.
However, Sandiaga ensures that the implementation of strict and disciplined health protocols integrated with the PeduliLindung application is still the main requirement.
“Evaluations will be carried out weekly, if the transmission rate of COVID-19 is under control, of course it is possible to accelerate the implementation of quarantine-free implementation for all regions in the archipelago,” Sandiaga remarked.
Meanwhile, the Deputy for Strategic Policy at the Ministry of Tourism, Nia Niscaya, added that in the near future Kemenparekraf together with relevant ministries/agencies will monitor the implementation of Visa On Arrival (VOA) in Bali so that it can run smoothly based on a circular letter that will be issued by the government in the near future.
“We will see the flow. We have to make sure there is no crowd during the Visa on Arrival process and during payment,” said Nia.
Likewise, the Deputy for Industry and Investment of the Ministry of Tourism, Henky Manurung, added, in supporting the implementation of MotoGP 2022, the Ministry of Tourism will later prepare a help desk both online and offline by presenting 263 Tourism Polytecnics Lombok students who are ready to help travellers both domestically and abroad.
“Being the front line in providing reliable information that collaborates with business actors, the community, as well as local governments,” concluded Henky. [traveltext.id/photo special]
