Vice President Ma'ruf Amin Says 120 Million Tourism Workers In The World Lost Their Jobs: 84 Percent In Asia Pacific

Indonesian Vice President, Ma'ruf Amin. (Photo: Doc. BNPB)

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said the COVID-19 pandemic crisis was a challenge for the tourism sector to rise and contribute to national income.

The tourism sector is the sector most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a drastic decrease in the number of tourist visits, said the Vice President at the "Global Tourism Forum 2021" at Raffles Jakarta, Wednesday, September 15.

"The pandemic period is a big challenge for the tourism sector to be able to rise and again contribute to national income," said the Vice President, quoted from Antara.

In Indonesia, the number of foreign tourist arrivals (tourists) in 2020 decreased by 75.03 percent compared to 2019. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia in 2020 was only 4.02 million, while in 2019 the number of visits was recorded at 16.11 million.

The heavy conditions in the tourism sector are also felt by many countries, so 2020 will be the toughest year for the tourism industry at the global level, said the Vice President.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) noted that the number of international tourists declined by 74 percent globally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lost potential revenue of up to US$1.3 trillion.

"As many as 100 to 120 million tourism workers lost their jobs. The Asia and Pacific region experienced the most drastic decline, reaching 84 percent," he said.

Therefore, to revive the tourism industry, the Vice President hopes that the 2021 GTF can produce strategic recommendations and move the community's economy.

"I hope this activity can produce strategic recommendations in an effort to support the recovery of the world tourism industry, also especially Indonesian tourism, to get back up and move the community's economy," said the vice president.