The Government to Develop Shopping Tourism, Indonesia will Take Example from Thailand and Singapore

Menteri Koordinator Bidang Perekonomian (Menko) Airlangga Hartarto. (Foto: Dok. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The government plans to develop shopping tourism in countries such as Thailand and Singapore. Therefore, the government will study retail industry policies in the two countries.

This was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (Menko Ekonomi) Airlangga Hartarto in his remarks at the Hippindo National Conference, virtually, in Jakarta, Tuesday, January 16.

Airlangga said that Thailand and Singapore use shopping tourism to increase visits by foreign tourists to these two countries.

"In developing the retail sector, we must study the policies of other countries, whether it is our neighbors Singapore or Thailand, which is certainly the best part of how shopping tourism can be used as a driver or as a lever to attract foreign tourists," said Airlangga.

Airlangga said, the development of shopping tourism also needs support from retailer associations and shopping center tenant associations. The support in question is encouraging the creation of shopping tourism.

"The task of the Association of Indonesian Retailers and Shopping Center Tenants is to also encourage shopping tourism in the country," he said.

The reason, said Airlangga, is that the tourism industry in Indonesia still relies on natural wealth. Apart from shopping tourism, he said, culinary tourism also needs to be encouraged.

Airlangga said, developing culinary tourism can be done by improving and improving the quality of domestic restaurants by international rating agencies.

"We still see that our tourism still relies on natural resources, so shopping tourism has not been encouraged, therefore Hippindo's task is to increase shopping tourism, culinary tourism, and of course culinary tourism needs to be on par with various other countries," he said.