Entrepreneurs Call RI Tourism Fund Not A Solution To Promote Tourism

Illustration of Rupiah (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian Tourism Industries (GIPI) assesses that the government's discourse to form an Indonesia Tourism Fund or tourism endowment fund is not optimal enough to promote the tourism sector in the country.

As is known, the government is targeting the Indonesia Tourism Fund to be implemented this year. Where in the first phase the funds managed amounted to IDR 2 trillion. The initial stage of funding will come from the government, the Ministry of Finance, which will relocate.

General Chairperson of GIPI Hariyadi Sukamdani said that based on information he obtained from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf), this tourism endowment fund will come from the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH).

Hariyadi said that if the funds were taken from BPDLH, this budget would be limited only to environmental-themed events or events. Other sources come from state-owned enterprises (BUMN) funds.

"If it's taken (from) SOEs, it's definitely still taking care of their own business. For example, like Mandalika, there's a lot of money, right, it's still covering up (the debt)," he said when met at The Langham Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 31.

Hariyadi also assessed that the Indonesia Tourism Fund was not optimal. Moreover, the current government period is also about to be completed.

"It's not enough (maximum) and the government is also a few months away (after the period). Can it really be maximized?," said Hariyadi.

Instead of taking funds from BPDLH and BUMN, Hariyadi actually advised to propose to form a Tourism Public Service Agency (BLU).

Furthermore, Hariyadi said that with this agency, the funds being processed are maximized to promote domestic tourism.

"The concept of GIPI is that we lead it to the BLU of the Public Service Agency for tourism. So the funds can be used optimally," he said.