Hope Thousand Islands Tourist Attractions Open, Regent: Vaccine Achievements Already 95 Percent

One of the tourist destinations of the Thousand Islands. ANTARA/Ho-Thousand Islands Regency Government.

JAKARTA - The Thousand Islands Regent Junaedi hopes that the central government will immediately give permission to open tourist attractions in his area. Because, Junaedi admitted that the achievement of COVID-19 vaccination for the residents of the Thousand Islands was already high.

Currently, Junaedi is still waiting for the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) to issue a CHSE (Clean, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability) certificate.

"We hope that it will be opened as soon as possible, because our vaccine achievement has reached 95 percent for dose one and dose two is 80 percent, already herd immunity, the majority of the people there have been vaccinated," Junaedi told reporters, Thursday, October 14.

Junaedi explained, 9 of the 11 islands in the Thousand Islands are ready to open their tourist attractions by implementing health protocols, equipped with barcode access for tourists entering the area.

"Of the 11 islands, 9 are ready. We are reorganizing it with a QR code. Those that are ready (to be opened) are small islands, such as Payung Island, Kelapa Dua Island. Hopefully in the next two or three days there will be certainty "To increase tourist interest, Junaedi added a variety of tours in the Thousand Islands, starting from the Japanese Village on Untung Jawa Island, skateboarding and rollerblading sports facilities on Tidung Island, to the construction of bicycle lanes.

"Right now a bicycle path is being built around the island. The bicycles are provided by the community and tourists can rent it. So, our tour is not only on the beach," said Junaedi.

To speed up licensing for the opening of tourist attractions, Junaedi said the DKI Tourism and Creative Economy Office (Disparekraf) collaborated with consultants to help prepare for the issuance of CHSE.

Then, the Thousand Islands have written twice to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenkomarves) regarding licensing for the opening of tourist attractions.