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TOURISM and Creative Economy Ministry will continue to encourage efforts to improve the tourism and creative economy sectors in Indonesia to attract foreign tourists, especially travelers from Singapore.
According to Tourism and Economy Creatiave, Sandiaga Uno said the improvement is aimed at boosting foreign tourist arrivals that are targeted to reach 3.6 million in 2022.
“We have just started a sales mission in Singapore, which is the first sales mission we have conducted after the pandemic in relation to one of the largest potential markets for Indonesian tourism,” he noted at the Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore recently.
On that occasion, Uno met travel agencies, airlines, and the media. Around 95% of tourism sector entrepreneurs in Singapore that attended the event expressed their enthusiasm. In fact, they already have a target to organize tourism activities and help in boosting the tourism sector in Indonesia starting in the middle of this year or in June 2022.
“We hope that our visit would spur tourist arrivals from Singapore and unleash our economic opportunities to open up business and job opportunities,” he affirmed.
Uno spoke of having assigned the ministry’s Tourism Marketing Directorate to facilitate the resolution of issues and obstacles in an effort to increase the arrivals of tourists from Singapore.
Thus, issues, such as institutional matters, burdensome insurance requirements, visas, and the number of ferry services that need to be increased between the two countries, should be resolved at the earliest.
Uno targeted that in the next few weeks, the ministry would start to resolve issues related to visas and insurance with the help of the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI). Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit or in 2019, Singapore was the third-largest contributor to foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia.
“Batam and Bintan are the second entry gates for tourists from Singapore after Bali. Thus, the target is that in the next 6-12 months, we will restore them with a quality and sustainable tourism concept,” he remarked.
He conveyed that the ministry is making efforts for improvements in several tourist attractions in Batam, Bintan, and other destinations, so that tourists can stay longer and shop for goods in the tourism and creative economy sectors. [sources/photo special]
