Menparekraf Sandi Uno Asks Us To Vacation Domestically

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that tens of billions of dollars of money in Indonesia run abroad per year for travel.

He asked that the money should be circulated domestically to stimulate the national economy and create jobs.

Sandiaga invites Indonesians to travel domestically only so that the tourism sector in Indonesia is more active in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Because there are 11 billion dollars per year spent by Indonesian tourists traveling abroad, out of a total of 11 million people," said Sandiaga in Bali, Saturday, January 16.

Furthermore, Sandiaga said that domestic tourists (wisnus) had started to increase in several areas. In Yogyakarta, for example, the arrival of foreign tourists has reached 70 percent. Then in Bandung, it is already above 80 percent.

However, Sandiaga said that efforts were still needed to stimulate foreign tourists to Bali and the Riau Islands.

"I receive reports every day from Pak Sikado (General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I International Airport Branch I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali Herry AY Sikado) for incoming and outgoing traffic. So I am very updated. 26 thousand visits," he explained.

Sandiaga said that the presence of foreign tourists in various destinations in Indonesia is expected to be a substitute for the lack of foreign tourist arrivals (tourists).

"The strategy is how domestic tourists can become at least a replacement for foreign tourists," he said.

Related to this, Sandiaga admitted that he launched the 'Only in Indonesia' program in collaboration with the entire tourism ecosystem and the creative economy.

"Now this is what I am currently formulating, how the quality of domestic tourists is getting better, how they are also comfortable being able to travel with controlled COVID-19," Sandiaga hoped.

On the other hand, Sandiaga said that the arrival of foreign tourists to the Island of the Gods still takes a long time. So, he also hopes that the tourism ecosystem and creative economy in Bali will also direct its various programs to foreign tourists.

"Because if we wait for foreign tourists, it will take time. It's time to go back, we back to domestic tourists, maybe the room rate can be more affordable, maybe the average spending is lower," Sandiaga asked.

"But we will get certainty because they chose Bali over their vacation in Turkey. It's time for Bali," said Sandiaga.