JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) - Indonesian government will allocate budget stimulus up to Rp3.7 trillion (US$256.94 million) for tourism sectors in 2021, said the minister today. In 2020, the Southeast Asian largest economy has disbursed Rp2.2 trillion of stimulus for 6,700 hotels and 7,600 restaurants.
The government expect this incentive will bring 736,000 foreign tourists and generate foreign exchange revenues around Rp13 trillion. The minister, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said in one seminar held on Thursday (03/18), the government was keen to open job opportunities to revive the economy and to boost the spirit of tourism players.
He also hinted that the government is planning to open its international borders for tourists in June if the numbers of COVID-19 cases are under control. Now, said Uno, his office and related parties are finalizing the travel bubble scheme before it is pitched to the President in a national meeting.
In the meeting with Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Shri Manoj K. Bharti, he has a discussion to reopen Bali by applying the concept of a ‘travel corridor arrangement’ with the partnering country. They also discuss direct flights from India to Indonesia and vice versa, which are currently not available.
“If we look at the number of Indian tourists heading to Indonesia, especially Bali and Jakarta, the numbers are very large. In 2019 the number reached half a million. With the existence of direct flights, its hoped that it will bring benefits to the tourism sector in both countries,” he wrote in a public statement.
Last month, statistic bureau reported the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia dropped 7.62 percent in January, 2020, compared to December 2019. When compared to the same month of last year, the numbers rose by 5.85 percent. The government itself targeting Indonesia as a leading Asian and World tourism destination by 2045 with a total of 73.6 million foreign tourist visits, from the 18 million people set for 2019.
In this year, the government will focus on developing leading destinations with a target of 21.6 million foreign tourists, in 2025 increasing competitiveness with a target of 31.8 million people, and in 2030 increasing diversity of tourism with a target of 42.8 million people.
in 2035 increasing the integration of tourism with a target of 57.5 people, in 2040 the strengthening as Asia’s flagship destination with a target of 65.1 million people, and finally in 2045 the strengthening as the world’s flagship destination with a total of 73.6 million people visiting. The tourism sector is one of the main foreign exchange-earners.
In 2018, Indonesia’ foreign exchange income from the tourism sector reached $17 billion, rose $2 billion from $15 billion a year earlier. And in 2019, the government targets the tourism sector to contribute $20 billion in foreign exchange. Now, the government continues to accelerate the development of four priority tourist destinations to reach the targets, namely Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Lombok-Mandalika area in West Nusa Tenggara, and Komodo Island – Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara.
Tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, and Asia is one of the hottest destinations, the Asian Development Bank latest report showed. Since 2011, global international arrivals have been growing at an average annual rate of 4.8 percent, adding about 55 million new visitors each year, to reach 1.4 billion in 2018.
Furthermore, international tourism receipts expanded by 4.3 percent per year since 2011, adding an average of $54 billion annually, to reach $1.34 trillion in 2018. Domestic tourism to has made impressive strides, with global receipts hitting $4.1 trillion in 2018, far more than international tourism.
In Asia tourism is taking off too. Of the 1.4 billion visitors who traveled abroad in 2018, 343 million went to Asia. And, of the $1.34 trillion of international tourism receipts in 2018, $390 billion was spent in Asia, the report shows.
Asia thus accounts for 25 percent of international visitors and 29 percent of international tourist spending. International arrivals rose by 65 percent in Asia between 2010 and 2018, compared to 47 percent globally.
US$1: Rp14,400
Written by Staff Editor, Email: theinsiderstories@gmail.com
