Entering The Grand Final, 2021 Esports President Cup Is Expected To Boost Bali Tourism

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The 2021 Esports President's Cup will soon enter the grand final which will take place on 17 -19 December. Sports tourism and sports events were also carried out in organizing the grand final round of the Esports President's Cup which took place at The Westin Resort, Nusa Dua, Bali.

It is hoped that this highest caste electronic sports tournament in the country will be a stimulus and have a positive impact on the tourism industry on the Island of the Gods in the future.

This was raised in the media talk show "President's Cup of Esports 2021 and Efforts to Promote the Growth of Sports Tourism" which was held on Wednesday 8 December. Present as speakers were the Deputy for Tourism Products & Activities of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Rizki Handayani Mustafa, Assistant Deputy for Creative Economy Development at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs & Investment Sartin Hia, Head of the Performance Improvement Section for Bali Disdikpora Cokorda Raka Satrya, and Secretary General of the 2021 Esports Presidential Cup Matthew Airlangga.

During the event, Rizki Handayani said that sports tourism and sports events are concepts that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy continues to push to re-boost the tourism industry, which had slumped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He gave an example of a number of recent sporting events such as the Indonesia Badminton Festival (IBF) and World Superbike (WSBK) in Mandalika which have proven to be involved in reopening the tourism tap.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is very supportive of sports events initiated by various parties, including the Esports President's Cup. This is very good in the sense of turning the wheel of activity in the area. This sports event is in accordance with the current lifestyle which is also concerned with health, which can then encourage people to travel," said Rizki Handayani in a written statement, Friday, December 10.

Cokorda Raka said the same thing. He said the tourism industry in Bali had experienced a fairly severe negative impact due to the pandemic.

Moreover, the majority of the economy in Bali has been supported by the tourism sector and events related to sports. Therefore, his party is very supportive and ready to collaborate in organizing the Grand Final of the 2021 Esports President's Cup in Bali.

“We are grateful that in these two months, along with the improvement in the PPKM level, many sports activities have started. Therefore, we thank the central government and the parties who have organized various events, including the Esports President's Cup. Of course, we hope that the situation will improve so that sports activities will continue to grow and will certainly have an impact on the economy in Bali,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the 2021 Esports Presidential Cup, Mathew Airlangga, explained the concept of holding the 2021 Esports Presidential Cup specifically by bringing various elements in sports tourism to be able to have a positive impact on tourism, especially in Bali. He gave an example through the artistic theme "Land of Wonders", this tournament will show various interesting visuals that come from the natural beauty and culture of Indonesia.

"For the grand final in Bali, apart from the presence of more than 200 esports athletes, we as organizers also collaborate with artists, industry players and MSMEs in Bali. One of them involved a famous sculptor in Bali to create a new championship trophy. We have also prepared a magnificent event with an extraordinary stage and performers. There will also be a visual show with the theme Land of Wonders that can be an inspiration to visit various tourist destinations in Indonesia, "explained Matthew.