Sandiaga Uno’s Hopes By Opening Local Tourism Objects Amid The Prohibition Of Homecoming

JAKARTA - The central government has again implemented the policy to prohibit the Eid Al-Fitr homecoming. However, there is good news, the government has allowed all tourist attractions throughout the country to be opened.

This was conveyed by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno after visiting the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK), Muhadjir Effendy at the Ministry of Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) office, Jakarta.

Sandiaga Uno expressed his gratitude to the Coordinating Ministry for PMK who gave his blessing to open local tourist objects during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

However, Sandiaga said, the opening of the local tourist attraction must still implement strict and disciplined health protocols. In addition, all business actors must comply with the CHSE protocol, namely Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability in order to reduce cases of COVID-19.

"Thank you, the Coordinating Minister for the invitation and we have just coordinated with regard to homecoming. And we expressly convey, giving a message to the tourism and creative economy community that we are ready to wait for the government's decision", Sandiaga said.

Sandiaga is currently preparing a number of policies so that Tourism and Creative Economy (parekraf) actors can continue to seize business opportunities as long as the policy is implemented.

"We are preparing options, staycations, tourism options within the framework of micro-scale Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM), including the provision of creative economy products to replace the physical community in their hometowns", said Sandiaga.

The same thing was conveyed by Muhadjir Effendy. He thanked Sandiaga Uno who was willing to come to the Kemenko PMK Office. He said that even though homecoming is prohibited, tourism still has to be throbbing.

"I am very happy, so there have been definite talks to support the government policy regarding the elimination of homecoming, but tourism must continue to beat, it cannot stop", said Muhadjir Effendy.

Regarding his reason for giving permission to open local tourism objects, Muhadjir Effendy argued that the concept of the Eid homecoming prohibition scheme implemented this year is different from the previous year.

The policy of banning homecoming last year, he said, was implementing a large-scale social restriction scheme (PSBB), while the policy to prohibit going home for Eid this year refers to micro-scale PPKM. So, the activities and movements of people are convinced that it can still be possible in a certain scope.

"Because of that, I strongly support Kemenparekraf which will continue to support or stimulate staycation, so limited tours in the area are still allowed, not prohibited", he said.

Muhadjir emphasized that the ban on homecoming has the main purpose of reducing the spread and transmission of COVID-19. However, this is not meant to make economic activity, especially the tourism sector, be drastically affected.

Regarding the provision of incentives to actors in the national parekraf sector, Muhadjir said that the policy was a very important step to ensure that the parekraf sector continued to grow during the ban on homecoming.

"Because if they fall down, especially those in the middle class, if they fall into poverty, that would be a problem for me. Meanwhile, this year's social assistance is not as big as last year's social assistance, because it must be seen more comprehensively", he said.

"Because the Kemenparekraf program intersects with my responsibilities, especially the cultural sector. Meanwhile, the cultural sector will be a mainstay for Indonesia's tourism program. Because we do have cultural wealth that is unmatched in the world", continued Muhadjir.