SKSG UI-PSKK Amerop Calls for National Consolidation in a booklet of Indonesia’s Post-Pandemic Tourism. The Tourism sector has experienced significant obstacles due to the pandemic. Throughout 2020 to 2021, almost all tourism industry players did not carry out their business activities or even closed their businesses. The number of international tourists declined drastically up to 72%. Even so, gradually, the tourism industry has begun to recover along with the change of pandemic to endemic.
In order to support the recovery of Indonesia’s tourism industry, School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG) of Universitas Indonesia (UI) in collaboration with Center for American and European Regional Policy Strategy (PSKK Amerop) launched a booklet entitled “Indonesian Tourism After the Pandemic and Projections of Market Recovery and Cooperation with the American region: The Need for National Consolidation” on Tuesday, (03/15/2022) through the Zoom Virtual Meeting Room. Previously, PSKK Amerop in collaboration with SKSG UI had held a webinar entitled “Indonesian Tourism After the Pandemic and Projections of Market Recovery and Cooperation with the American Region: The Need for Intensification of National Consolidation” last July.
From the webinar, a collection of articles was collected from the speakers at the seminar, namely the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Deputy Coordinating Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Head of Center for American and European Regional Policy Strategy, the Foreign Policy Strategy Agency (BSKLN) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director of Strategic Studies of Ministry of ourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, Head of Bali Provincial Tourism Office, Head of Center for Business Climate and GVC Studies LPEM UI, Indonesian Ambassador to Brazil, Indonesian Ambassador to Mexico, Indonesian Consul General in New York, and Embassy of Indonesia in Ottawa produced a booklet with the same title as the Seminar held. Both Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Universitas Indonesia consider that it is necessary to disseminate this Tourism Booklet to relevant stakeholders, from policy makers in government institutions to business actors in the tourism sector. This booklet contains studies and recommendations regarding post-pandemic tourism, especially the cooperation of the national tourism industry with tourism in the American region. Among the decline in the number of international tourists, the number of American tourists underwent the most significant decline to only 5%.
However, the potential for the phenomenon of revenge tourism or the overwhelming desire of the people of countries that have controlled the pandemic such as America to travel abroad, needs to be anticipated. This phenomenon provides an opportunity for the Indonesian tourism industry to rise and recover. Of course, to sharpen the recommendations in the Booklet that are “low hanging fruits”, the existence of national consolidation is no less important. Efforts to recover the tourism industry require synergy from stakeholders.
Winardi Hanafi Lucky, as Secretary of the Tourism Division of TPPE, stated that policy alignment, similarity in information dissemination, development of responsible and sustainable development strategies are needed. Do keep in mind, that in the recovery process there will always be a trial and correction process considering that the pandemic is not yet known. “All the progress we have achieved today is the result of the cooperation and synergy of all stakeholders in the Indonesian tourism sector,” said Winardi at the booklet launch event.
In line with Winardi, Bayu Kristianto, M.A., Ph.D. supports national consolidation. According to him, national consolidation is needed between the central and regional governments, Indonesian representatives abroad, especially in the American region, and educational institutions. This is because increasing the tourism sector requires cooperation from upstream to downstream so that promotion can be done well. Moreover, there is a change in American tourist preferences to domestic tourism, a tendency to seek open and authentic tourism, and a longer travel period. He as UI English Studies graduate also called for the principles of moving together (geber), moving fast (gercep) and combining all field potential (gaspol) in handling the pandemic and tourism recovery. Furthermore, these three principles are applied in the 3T concept: Trust, Trial, Travel. The existence of this booklet is expected to increase optimism regarding the recovery process of the tourism industry while enriching the discourse on the tourism industry and markets in the international arena. This booklet can be accessed through the official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and SKSG UI. “This booklet can be used as a reference. We would appreciate it if you could help spread the booklet through your own networks,” said H.E. Dr. Teuku Faizasyah as the Head of Foreign Policy Strategy Agency (BSKLN) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Penulis: Humairah| Editor: Sasa
