The Covid-19 pandemic had a major impact on many sectors, especially the tourism and creative economy of Indonesia. However, as the situation has improved, efforts to recover the economy have been launched. To update Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy recovery situation, MBA Jakarta Campus invited the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, to deliver a guest lecture and discussion session at HenkUnoAmphiteatre of the MBA SBM ITB Jakarta Campus.
According to the minister, the emphasis for reviving tourism lies in building confidence and gaining the trust of the tourists. There is a need to assure tourists that Indonesia’s tourism activities will not be dangerous nor go against health protocols laid down by WHO.
To rebuild our tourism and creative economy, we need to go back to the basics. We should be prepared for the new normal by implementing health protocols, including digital monitoring using the PeduliLindungi app.
“Thankfully, we’re seeing recovery. Hotels have a better occupancy rate; tourist spots are getting customers, not only foreign tourists but also domestic tourists. We hope this momentum will continue and lead to recovery of the sector that has been hit hard by the pandemic,” said Sandiaga.
The ministry deployed “3G Approach” strategy to revive the Tourism and Creative Economy. 3G means , “Gercep”, “Geber”, and “Gaspol”. “Gercep” stands for “GerakCepat”, “Geber” stands for “Gerak Bersama”, and lastly, “Gaspol” stands for “GarapSemuaPotensiLapanganKerja”.
“There’s a Chinese proverb that says, ‘if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far to the corners of the world, you have to go together.’ So other than ‘Grace’, we need to ‘Geber’. Lastly, we will explore all opportunities to recover all jobs lost due to the pandemic with the addition of quality jobs,” Sandiaga explained.
The minister also mentioned the programs initiated to support the recovery of Indonesia’s tourism sector. In the earlier phase of recovery, the programs are aimed at domestic tourists, with #DiIndonesiaAja campaign encourages natives to go on trips within the country and support the economy. The tourism village program, DesaWisata, has also become a popular program that drives the creative economy through the #BeliKreatifLokal program. Moreover, events such as the G20 triggered activities for tourism and creative economy businesses. These programs and events lead to employment and job creation.
However, to help businesses not only survive and revive but also thrive after the pandemic, the ministry is also collaborating with many other institutions, including MBA SBM ITB, to create synergy. “Recover together, recover stronger. It is something that we embed in daily live, gotong royong. We’re also collaborating with private sectors and empowering the local communities,” said Sandiaga.
Lastly, the minister talked about another important aspect of recovery strategy, i.e., “Collaboration.” Not only within the government but also among the business community, media, and other allied sectors. This way, Indonesia’s tourism and the creative sector will recover soon.
