The Journey Of The Indonesian Shopping Tourism Sector Is Still A Long Way To Compete With Thailand And Singapore

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JAKARTA - Shopping tourism or Shopping Tourism is one of the ways that several countries use to restore their economy after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

But unfortunately, the increase in the number of tourist visits to Indonesia does not necessarily encourage the growth of domestic shopping tourism, such as what happened in Thailand and Singapore.

Chairman of the Indonesian Belinia Center Management Association (APPBI) Alphonzus Widjaja said Indonesia's journey to be able to compete with Thailand, as well as Sipara, is still very long. The reason is, there are many obstacles that need to be addressed by the government.

"Indonesia, I think the journey is still long for the shopping tourism sector. It has been explained how many tours have come, but it doesn't necessarily encourage shopping tourism (in the country)," he said after the APPBI National Working Meeting, at The Langham Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 31.

Alphonzus said that the non-interpretation of tourist areas with shopping centers and other supporting factors in the tourism sector is one of the obstacles for Indonesia to developing shopping tourism.

"Why? Because earlier, many were not integrated between tourist destinations and shopping destinations and others. All factors in the tourism sector are not integrated, that's one of the obstacles," he said.

In addition, said Alphonzus, another obstacle faced is the lack of points for shopping destinations. For example, he said, if tourists come to Singapore they will visit Orbid. Likewise, if tourists come to Japan, they will visit Shibuya, in Tokyo.

"We are also very lacking for shopping destination spots. For Singapore, for example, he has a famous Orchid around the world, tourists come to look for Orchids. To Tokyo, Shibuya is looking for it. There is no in Indonesia. Even in Jakarta there are no such destinations," he said.

Even so, Alphonzus said Indonesia could really develop domestic shopping tourism. However, collaboration from all parties is needed not only business actors in the tourism sector but also the government to make it happen.

"I think this is homework together. But this is to make things across sectors that must be controlled by the government, I think. The government must hold the main role to be able to embrace all sectors in tourism to become one unit like before," he explained.