Sandiaga Comes To Coffee Johny Meets Hotman Paris, Make Sure The New Criminal Code Does Not Have An Impact On Tourism

Sandiaga Uno (Photo via personal Twitter)

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno ensured that Article 424 in the Criminal Code (KUHP) which was just passed did not have a bad influence on the tourism sector.

This was said by Sandiaga Uno after meeting with the famous lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, Saturday, December 10 yesterday. Article 424 in the new Criminal Code itself regulates criminal acts regarding the sale of drinks and wasteful materials.

"I was present at Johny's Coffee, fulfilling Bang Hotman Paris' invitation, to respond to Article 424 contained in the Criminal Code, which is said to have an impact on the tourism sector," Sandiaga said, Sunday, December 11.

Sandiaga Uno ensured that referring to the data he received as of December 9 evening, there were no significant cancellations of visits.

"In fact, our two main airports, namely Jakarta and Bali, have increased foreign tourists coming," explained Sandiaga Uno.

Sandiaga Uno assessed that the increase in tourists would encourage the creation of 1.1 million jobs this year.

In addition, Sandiaga Uno said that his party would continue to disseminate information to parties related to the new Criminal Code, starting from travel agents, touring operators.

"We at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will continue to ensure the comfort of tourists in visiting Indonesia," said Sandiaga Uno.

Previously, Plt. Director General of Immigration Widodo Ekatjahjana emphasized that the Criminal Code did not affect the activities of foreign nationals or foreigners while in Indonesia.

According to Widodo, based on immigration data, especially data on the arrival of foreigners through TPI (Sea, Air and Land Immigration Checkpoints), the arrival rate of foreigners to Indonesia increased significantly from 6-9 December 2022.

With this data, he denied all the information circulating, which stated that the ratification of the Criminal Code Bill could reduce the number of foreign tourists to foreign investors in Indonesia.

"So there is no correlation between the views that the ratification of the Criminal Code Bill will reduce the number of foreign tourists and foreign investors and businessmen who come to Indonesia. The arrival of foreigners is not affected by the ratified Criminal Code Bill," Widodo said in an official statement, Saturday (10/12/2022).

Meanwhile, the most data on the arrival of foreigners in that period was dominated by Singapore as many as 21,769 people, followed by Malaysia as many as 15,515 people, and Australia as many as 10,862 people.

The number of foreign tourists from Europe is dominated by several top-spender countries such as the Russian Federation 2,673 people, United Kingdom 2,457 people, Germany 1,039 people, and France 1,060 people. Then, there is the US which reaches 2,771 people.