There Are MotoGP Events, Etc., Kemenparekraf Targets 3.6 Million Foreign Tourist Visits To The Country In 2022

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno. (Photo: Instagram @sandiuno)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency targets the number of foreign tourist arrivals to the country at 1.8 million to 3.6 million. This number increased compared to this year which was only 1.5 million people.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno said that the figure was focused on achieving the concept of quality and sustainable tourism in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Sandiaga detailed that in 2020 the number of foreign tourists to Indonesia reached 4.05 million people and decreased in 2021 to only 1.5 million people. Meanwhile, next year, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will focus on the target of 1.8 million to 3.6 million foreign tourists.

"This number of foreign tourists used to be the number that we always pursued in terms of numbers, but this time we focus on quality and sustainable tourism. Meanwhile, domestic tourists are the mainstay with a target of 260-280 million movements and the added value of the creative economy reaching Rp1,236 trillion ," he said, in an official statement, Tuesday, December 28.

Hold international events

Meanwhile, the Deputy for Strategic Policy Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf, Kurleni Ukar said regarding the small target of foreign tourists even though in 2022 there will be various kinds of international activities or events in the country.

"We agree with BAPPENAS not to set a high target. However, we hope that international events will increase foreign exchange for the country. This border opening policy is still an obstacle, then problems related to accessibility and ease of entering Indonesia," he said.

He also explained, related to the potential market or origination that made it possible to come to the country. Bali, said Kurleni, is still a favorite destination for foreign tourists from Australia, then there are tourists from India and Japan who currently have direct access from the cherry blossom country.

"As for Batam and Bintan, tourists from Malaysia and Singapore are still the main targets," he said.

Deputy for Tourism Products and Event Organizers of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Rizky Handayani added, indeed next year there will be several International MICE events that will be held in the country such as the G20, AVPN, and others.

"There are global issues that affect the number of markets that will come to Indonesia, until then we will push from the MICE sector next year and events such as sporting events or cultural events. Previously, leisure took up around 63-65 percent, MICE and special interest are only around 23 percent, we still expect that figure in the future," he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Nia Niscaya, added that the origination of foreign tourists targeted by Indonesia is very dynamic, because it is in accordance with coordination with the Ministry of Health, which must consider COVID-19 cases in the targeted country.

"It's very dynamic for the origination of tourists and also the returning home policy, because if the returning home policy is complicated, it makes tourists lazy to leave their country," he said.

Second, continued Nia Undoubtedly, Indonesia is still the top of mind for tourists who want to travel to the country. It can be seen from the search volume of tourists on search engines.

"Attention is already there on the market, but unfortunately the current very strong data from the high search volume, Omicron is actually high, this is the basis for consideration, we will determine the market focus, we must coordinate with the Ministry of Health," he said.