The U-17 World Cup Will Have A Significant Impact On Indonesia's Economic Growth

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Airlangga University (Unair) Surabaya economic observer Gigih Prihantono said that the Indonesian U-17 World Cup had a significant impact on economic growth, including in the regions.

"The impact is huge, there are many things being taken, such as in hotels, restaurants, souvenirs or micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)," said Gigih, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, October 31.

Moreover, said Gigih, the tournament is also international in scale which automatically brings in foreign tourists, especially supporters of the participating countries.

Therefore, he said, the government must really maximize this event by aggressively promoting various tourism potentials and unique products that Indonesia has by strengthening coordination with tourism industry players, such as entertainment businesses, hotels, restaurants, and travel services.

"The government must be active in attracting these parties," he said.

The movement of the tourism industry must be supported by the existence of transportation facilities. Then each regional government (Pemda) forms a tourism destination scheme that is connected to one another.

"Then tourist attractions that attract tourists can be beautified and the spots must be prepared," he said.

On the other hand, he stated that the success of holding an age group world championship could create a positive track record and portfolio for Indonesia in the eyes of the world.

This means, he said, the World Cup has the potential to trigger the entry of other large-scale and international events into the country.

"Every year there must be big 'events' in Indonesia, after this world cup there are 'events', then what other 'events'," he said.

If this can be realized, then the Indonesian tourism industry can become increasingly well-known internationally and provide significant additional income for the country.

"So big 'events' must be sustainable," he said.

It is known that the U-17 World Cup will open with a Group A match between the host Indonesian U-17 National Team and Ecuador at the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (GBT) Surabaya, on November 10, 2023.

Apart from Surabaya, the U-17 World Cup matches were also held in three other areas, namely Jakarta, Bandung, and Solo.