Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno: Indonesia Explores Opening A Travel Corridor With Qatar

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno. (Photo: Instagram @sandiuno)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno revealed that the Indonesian government is exploring the opening of a travel corridor arrangement (TCA) with Qatar.

This news was conveyed after a meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan. In the meeting, the two discussed opportunities or potential for cooperation in tourism and the creative economy.

Sandiaga said, the TCA plan began by reopening direct flight routes from Doha to Bali. Later, this effort will be strengthened by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries. The cooperation is both in the field of tourism and investment and other promotions.

"This is our quick step to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Qatar, whose investment, trade, and tourism sectors have been recognized by the international community. Then, in preparation for the TCA, Qatar can propose, considering that Qatar can re-open direct flights to Bali, this is we must coordinate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs," he said in a statement quoted on Friday, June 4.

Although the number of tourist visits from Qatar to Indonesia is relatively small, the length of stay of tourists from that country is quite high. According to BPS data, in 2019 as many as 1,989 tourists visited Indonesia, and the length of stay ranged from 6 to 29 days.

In fact, in 2018, Qatar has actively participated in the World Conference on Creative Economy which was held in Bali, Indonesia.

On the same occasion, the Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan, welcomed the step of cooperation between the two countries. He said the attention of the Qatari people towards Indonesia was very high from a social and cultural perspective, it was just a matter of how Qatar played a role in bringing tourists to Indonesia.

"For the tourism sector, there is no MoU, there is only an MoU regarding tourism investment cooperation. However, in Qatar there is a great opportunity for cooperation in the creative economy sector, because the government has strong support for the creative economy sector," said Ridwan.

Previously, the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan together with QIA CEO/Qatar State Minister Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Thani signed a tourism investment cooperation on August 1, 2018 in Jakarta.

This collaboration allows QIA to invite other partner investors to invest together in Indonesia. Therefore, through this meeting, it is hoped that it will further strengthen the bilateral relations between Qatar and Indonesia that have existed before, for the progress of the two countries, especially in the fields of tourism and the creative economy.