Reviving Tourism Sector

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Visitors sit in a tent in De Loano, Sedayu village, Loano district, Purworejo regency, Central Java, Tuesday (15/10/2019). This is part of the ecotourism site developed by state forest company Perum Perhutani and the Borobudur Authority Agency. The tourist attraction is equipped with various facilities for visitors.

The government is targeting 2021 as the year of revival for Indonesia\'s tourist industry. It is hoped that the recovery of tourism will be a lever for the recovery of the national economy.

As one of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government believes that tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) will be one of the sectors in the economy that will recover the fastest, apart from the transportation and trade sectors.

President Joko Widodo in a statement some time ago believed that the weakening trend in tourism would only last until December 2020, before recovering in 2021. A number of priority destinations were set. Collaboration in organizing physical and virtual exhibitions to drive the MICE business is also being intensified to drive the tourism sector.

Also read: Uplifting Recovery for Next Year

The government is optimistic that, with strict health protocols, this sector can recover quickly. The experience of successfully organizing a number of prestigious international events, and being the organizer of a global scale meeting, make this expectation seem rational in normal situations.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, COVID-19 transmission has not shown any signs of abating.

In a number of Asian countries, driven by domestic tourists, tourism has also begun to run and become a lever for economic recovery. The difference is, in these countries, the pandemic is relatively under control. Meanwhile in Indonesia, COVID-19 transmission has not shown any signs of abating.

Even though strict health protocols are in place, it is not impossible for tourists to remain in doubt as long as the spread of COVID-19 itself cannot be controlled. A strong recovery in tourism also requires control of the health crisis.

KOMPAS/ BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Tourists enjoying the beauty of Batur Mountain Geopark tourism area in Kintamani district, Bangli regency, Bali, Wednesday (4/10/2018). Many tourists that visit the area are those that have changed their mind about going to Mount Agung in Karangasem.

In a post-pandemic time, Indonesia must compete against the tourist destinations in other countries offering tourism in order to win the hearts of tourists whose numbers have shrunk considerably. As a result of the coronavirus, the number of world tourist arrivals is predicted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to fall 44 percent from 2019.

For Indonesia, the visits that were originally targeted at 18 million in 2020 have dropped to only around 2.8 million to 4 million. The loss of revenue in Indonesia\'s tourism sector is estimated at US$10 billion in 2020.

Also read: Domestic Tourists Become Locomotive

Indonesia must take advantage of COVID-19 disruptions to accelerate the improvement of tourism infrastructure, with the target of reaching 73.6 million tourists by 2045.

The key is innovation and collaboration between the government and all stakeholders.

Assuming that in 2021 the world is predicted to be not completely free from COVID-19 – even when a vaccine is available – the tourism sector will be forced to adapt to the new normal situation, with all its challenges and opportunities. The slower we adapt, the longer it will take to recover. The key is innovation and collaboration between the government and all stakeholders.

The recovery of tourism in Indonesia will be driven primarily by the demands of the upper-middle class. While the recovery of global tourism will still take time, domestic tourists have become a mainstay, so tourism industry players are required to adjust. Indonesia must also begin to develop a vision for sustainable tourism that is resilient to various crises. In the end, not only the number of visits, the quality and sustainability of tourism itself is equally important.