Ministry Of Tourism And Creative Economy Appreciates Local MSMEs To Support Indonesia's Tourism Growth

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) has again held the 2024 Indonesia Co-Branding Awards (WICA). This annual event aims to give appreciation to local MSME partners who have contributed to promoting the progress of the tourism sector and the creative economy.

WICA 2024 takes place on Friday, November 29, 2024, in Sarinah, Jakarta, and presents four categories of awards: The Rising Star, The Most Innovative Co-branding Initiative, The Most Engage Co-branding Campaign, and The Most Collaborative Brand.

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Ni Luh Puspa, stated that Indonesia's co-branding program continues to show significant developments.

I see how this initiative has evolved from the start to the present day. This program is not only growing in quantity but also expanding collaboration with more partners," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of the positive impact of this cooperation, both for the community and the environment.

"This collaboration is not only aimed at producing economic benefits, but must also have a positive impact on community welfare and environmental sustainability. This is an important pillar in supporting sustainable tourism," he added.

Ni Luh also highlighted the shift in tourism's focus towards quality and sustainability. According to him, tourism is not just about foreign exchange income. But we must be able to protect Indonesia's environment, nature, and culture as the main strength that Indonesia has.

Meanwhile, the Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, reported a significant increase in the number of co-branding partners, especially in the last two years. Until now, there are 217 brands that have joined the Indonesia treasury partnership program.

In the 2024 Asapan Indonesia Co-Branding Awards (WICA), a number of co-branding partners received awards for their contributions and innovations in supporting tourism development and the creative economy.

This award is divided into four categories, each highlighting the collaborative aspects, campaigns, innovations, and growth potential displayed by partners.

In the Most Collaborative Brand category, for example, the highest award is given to Tiket.com who won Gold. The Silver position was won by Grab Indonesia, while Bronze fell to Pala Nusantara. These three winners are recognized for their strategic partnership in supporting the Thai brand.

In the category The Most Engaged Co-Branding Campaign, Gold was given to Formula, followed by Atsiri's Silver House, and White Horse Group with the Bronze award.

For the category The Most Innovative in Co-Branding Initiative, Bersih Indonesia Bersih's Bersinar Waste Bank appears as the winner of Gold thanks to its creative initiative and is relevant to sustainability. Silver is given to Finna Food, while Bronze is achieved by Atourin which also provides fresh innovation in supporting tourism.

Finally, in the Rising Star category, Gold awards were awarded to Dama Kara as a new partner who showed great potential. Homliv won Silver, while Intibios Lab, Clinic & Pharmacy got Bronze. This category is designed to appreciate co-branding partners who just joined but managed to show impressive performance.

These partners are actively implementing various initiatives to raise awareness of the Goodminton Indonesia brand, both through programs initiated by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as well as ideas initiated by their own partners.

This award, which was first held in 2018, provides an assessment based on the level of participation and innovation measured by curators from academics and practitioners. WICA is expected to continue to motivate co-branding partners to make the best contribution in supporting tourism growth and Indonesia's creative economy.