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IT’S EXPECTED that Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, with its various tourism and creative economy potentials, can become one of the areas supporting the achievement of national tourism and creative economy targets in 2023.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, Thursday (12/29) at the Sabha Swagata Pendopo Blambangan, Banyuwangi, said the achievement targets for the tourism sector and the national creative economy in 2023 increased from the target in 2022. One of them is the movement of domestic tourists who reached 1.2 billion-1.4 billion movements.
“This year (2022) the target is only 700 to 750 million, which means it (increases) doubled. And if we look at some of the mainstays that we can make development of, one of them is Banyuwangi,” said Sandiaga.
Apart from domestic tourists, foreign tourist visits in 2023 are also targeted to increase from 3.6 million in 2022 to 3.5 million-7.4 million visits so that tourism foreign exchange increases to US$2.07-5.95 billion.
“Hopefully Banyuwangi can contribute to achieving tourism and creative economy targets in 2023,” Sandiaga remarked.
Minister Sandiaga is optimistic that Banyuwangi can support the achievement of this target because the district which is at the easternmost tip of Java Island has various potentials. Among them is the holding of events that take place throughout the year.
“In my opinion, this has become an inspiration for other regions to present events such as the Gandrung Sewu Festival, Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival, and others. I hope that in the future it can continue to develop into an international event so that these tourists also come to see world-class events ,” he noted.
Based on data from Grab Indonesia, from 2019 – 2022 an average of 98.5 percent of tourists visiting East Java come from domestic tourists. In 2022, the number of international tourists coming to East Java will increase 5.6 times compared to 2021 and contribute to an economic impact of 68%.
Banyuwangi, which has leading destinations as well as its creative economic products, must be able to have competitiveness not only for domestic tourists but also for foreign tourists. Like a fashion product that already has advantages, it can become a product that has added value.
The Tourism Ministry said he would continue to prepare programs to support the development of tourism and the creative economy in Banyuwangi. Such as BetiDewi (Buy Creative Tourism Village) and ADWI (Indonesian Tourism Village Award), as well as support for the creative economy through facilitation of creative actors, facilitation of intellectual property, AKI (Indonesian Creative Appreciation), Planogram, and onboarding of creative economy actors on the marketplace.
“I want to prepare creative economy and tourism actors in Banyuwangi to welcome 2023 which is full of opportunities. We must strive so that new job opportunities are created to increase people’s welfare,” Sandiaga added.
Meanwhile the Regent of Banyuwangi, Ipuk Fiestiandani, who was present online, said that Banyuwangi would continue to make tourism one of the development focuses because so far tourism had had a big impact on the transformation in Banyuwangi Regency. As the economy grows, changes in people’s behavior are getting better at supporting tourism growth in Banyuwangi Regency, the arts and culture sectors are also growing.
“The love and pride of the people of Banyuwangi for the area is also increasing due to the growing tourism in Banyuwang Regency,” said Ipuk.
Apart from that, what is equally important is the creativity of the creative economy in Banyuwangi Regency where more and more young people are involved in developing the parekraf sector.
“We hope that the Minister of Tourism can motivate us, Banyuwangi’s young people, to be able to face challenges in the coming years, especially in the world of tourism and creative arts,” Ipuk concluded. [traveltext.id]
