Including The Toba And Mandalika Funds, Coordinating Minister Luhut Said 3 Super Priority Tourism Destinations In 2024

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (left both), Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno (right)/ANTARA

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan emphasized that the development of five super priority tourism destinations (DPSP) will be completed in the third quarter of 2024. The five DPSPs whose development is being accelerated are Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, and Likupang in North Sulawesi. "We want all five DPSPs to be completed in the third quarter of 2024. So, we are now evaluating all of them. Earlier, from the results of our talks there were the Minister of Bappenas, the Minister of Tourism, and the Minister of PAN-RB, we will complete it," he said at a press conference after attending the 5 DPSP Coordination Meeting which was monitored online in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, December 21. According to him, the completion of the development of five DPSPs still requires an additional budget of IDR 15 trillion. The budget will be divided in the next two years. "I think with finances there should be no problem," he added. Luhut also emphasized the main focus on encouraging tourism inside, including encouraging the movement of Nusantara (wisnus) tourists. He admitted that he did not want middle class groups to spend their money on vacation abroad. "We should not rely on foreign tourism because our middle class is rising now, so if we can return this domestic tourism immediately, more than before COVID-19, I think that is a big achievement," he said. On the same occasion, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the additional budget of IDR 15 trillion is expected to help complete all developments in five DPSPs. "The additional budget required is IDR 15 trillion, we hope this can be in two years to complete all the activities we carry out in five DPSPs," he said. Sandi also said that next year there will be 1.2-1.4 million Winus movements targeted. Therefore, his party will increase more tourism events and activities to boost tourist visits. One of them is the F1H2O sports event in Lake Toba in February 2023. "We hope that this will trigger and trigger foreign tourists," he said. Sandi also hopes that the target of job creation in the tourism sector and the creative economy can increase by 4.4 million with cross-ministerial/institutional coordination. "Earlier, several innovations were also conveyed by Pak Anas (Minister of PAN-RB), and the support of Pak Harso (Minister of National Development Planning/Bappenas). We hope that later the number of jobs created by tourism and the creative economy can reach 4.4 million with several coordination across ministries," he said. Also attending the press conference of the Minister of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (PPN/Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa and the Minister for Empowerment of Bureaucratic State Apparatus (PAN-RB) Abdullah Azwar Anas.