Wamenpar Ni Luh Puspa Emphasizes The Role Of Women In Developing Tourism

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Tourism, Ni Luh Puspa emphasized the vital role of women in the development of the tourism sector in Indonesia. This is expected to improve the economy, and at the same time create social and cultural balance through the tourism sector.

"The important role of women in national development is in line with the spirit of gender equality which is one of the points in the goal of sustainable development goals (SDGs). This is emphasized in Presidential Instruction Number 9 of 2000 concerning the Order of Genders or PUGs in National Development," Ni Luh said in an official statement received in Jakarta, citing ANTARA, Sunday, December 8.

Based on data from UN Tourism Global and Report on Women in Tourism in 2019, the number of women who contribute to the tourism sector exceeds 50 percent compared to men. In Indonesia, women also play an important role in the progress of the tourism sector.

Ni Luh also said that based on data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Center in 2023, 54.22 percent of the workforce in the tourism sector is women.

Thus, the Ministry of Tourism is ready to support the role of women in the development of the tourism sector. One of them is through a book initiative entitled Inspirations of Women in Indonesian Tourism Destinations' and Inspirational Women's Figures in Tourism Destinations Edition 1 and 2.

"Kemenpar itself will host an international event, namely the 2nd UN Tourism Women Conference on Women Empowerment in Tourism in Asia and the Pacific in May 2024. Apart from promoting Bali tourism to the world, this event is also a momentum to strengthen the role of women and gender equality," said Ni Luh.

Although in terms of the percentage of women who have held the dominant position in the tourism sector, Ni Luh believes that there are still many women who do not have the same opportunity to become leaders. In fact, female workers in the tourism sector have 14.7 percent lower income than men.

"Overall, this gap is due to gender stereotypes, limited access to education, and limited opportunities to grow," said Ni Luh.

He added, "Therefore, it is our shared responsibility to ensure that women have space, opportunities, and recognition in every aspect, especially in the tourism sector".

Ni Luh Puspa said that women and culture are two important pillars in building an inclusive and sustainable future of tourism. For this reason, there are three strategic steps that need to be taken together, namely encouraging women's participation in the tourism industry, ensuring equality in decision making, and utilizing technology in decision making.

Ni Luh also explained the role of women in advancing Indonesian tourism. Some of them are policymakers in the government sector, workers in tourism destinations, influencers who promote and introduce the beauty of Indonesian tourism destinations, as well as economic actors such as the development of souvenirs and souvenirs in tourism destinations.

"For that, let's make women a strategic partner in promoting Indonesian tourism to the world. Women are not only a pillar of the family, but also a guardian of civilization, a pioneer of innovation, and inspiration for future generations," said Ni Luh.