NTB Provincial Government Requires ASN To Buy Mandalika MotoGP Tickets, Sandiaga: A Joint Decision To Make The Event A Success

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, said the move by the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Government to require State Civil Servants (ASN) to buy MotoGP tickets was a joint decision.

Furthermore, Sandiaga explained that these efforts were made so that the international motorcycle race event was a success.

For your information, the NTB Provincial Government has asked ASN to participate in buying MotoGP tickets which will take place from 19 to 21 March 2022. The reason is that the number of ticket sales has not been optimal. Until February 20, 2022, the number of MotoGP ticket sales has not touched 21,000. Meanwhile, the government has set the quota for the international motorcycle racing event at 60 thousand.

"Of course, it is part of our collective decision to make MotoGP a success", he said at the 'Weekly Press Briefing' event, quoted Wednesday, March 2.

In addition, Sandiaga explained that the MotoGP event is one of Indonesia's milestones in achieving economic recovery in the tourism sector. Because MotoGP is one of the biggest tourism promotion agendas because it is witnessed directly by 400 million people in the world.

Not only that, said Sandiaga, after the international race agenda in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) takes place, Indonesia will have an economic impact.

"This further strengthens Indonesia's position as a leading sports tourism destination. So this is our gamble", he explained.

The reason the NTB Provincial Government requires ASN to buy tickets

The Regional Secretary of the NTB Provincial Government, Lalu Gita Ariadi, explained that ticket sales in the third week of February had only reached 21 thousand copies. This means that from the specified audience quota of 60 thousand, there are still around 35,000 tickets that still have to be sold.

The details are for the grandstand category as many as 1,045 tickets on the first day have been sold, 3,934 tickets on the second day, and 14,473 tickets on the third day. Meanwhile, for General Admission tickets sold were 196 pax on the first day, 539 pax were sold on the second day, and 1,343 pax were sold on the third day.

Lalu Gita explained that there were several problems related to the sale of tickets, which had only sold 21,000. For example, the vigilance of the public as if they are still waiting for the development of COVID-19 ahead of the MotoGP event.

"There are several factors of concern about how this health policy will be when there are easing and facts on the ground, or health is under control, of course, there will be no extra costs incurred, the audience will no longer be burdened with antigens and so on", he said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, March 1st.

To encourage ticket sales, Lalu Gita said that he had taken several steps, including the Provincial Government in writing to the provincial apparatus and the district/city-regional secretary to facilitate ticket bookings to the NTB community members collected through the provincial or district/city offices.

"Giving special prices to people with NTB ID cards at a discount of 10 percent before tax, and limiting the highest price for hotel rates in the NTB province with a Governor's Regulation so that the price is affordable", he explained.

Spread 35 thousand tickets

Lalu conveyed that his party had a target of distributing 35,000 tickets to regional apparatus to Islamic boarding school students in the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) area. This is to support the increasing number of tickets sold.

"We then tried to map the 35,000 tickets. We distributed them in 10 ticket sales clusters in NTB. From the NTB Provincial Government to the ASN, they are required to watch MotoGP", he said.

Not only that, even teachers, police, soldiers, and students were also mobilized to sell MotoGP tickets which had not yet been sold. As for each community cluster, 2,000 to 25,000 MotoGP tickets are allocated for sale.

In detail, 4,000 tickets will be distributed to the NTB Province State Civil Apparatus (ASN). Then 16,000 tickets to the ranks of regents and mayors throughout NTB. Then, 2,000 tickets to the ranks of the NTB Police Chief, and 2,000 tickets to the ranks of the Danrem, Danlanal, and Danlanud NTB.

Then, 2,000 tickets for regional vertical agencies, 2,500 tickets for BUMN and banking, 2,000 tickets for Professional Associations (Kadin, Associations, Contractors, and Consultants), 2,500 for teachers and students, 500 tickets for Ustadz and students, and 1,500 tickets for the General Public or Chinese PITI-PSMII.