Indonesia, China to Collaborate in Tourism Development

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia in partnership with China will boost the Southeast Asia nation’s domestic tourism sector amid the Covid-19 pandemic, said its senior minister on Saturday.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the collaboration was discussed in the Indonesia-China Tourism and Investment Forum for the Five Key Super Priority Tourism Destinations. The forum was held in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of both countries' diplomatic relations.

Luhut said the meeting reflected the two countries’ commitment to recover the national economy, especially in the tourism sector that was hit badly by the Covid-19 crisis.

“Indonesia and China have established a good friendship. The two countries are going to build cooperation in various sectors, including to restore our economy in the tourism sector,” said Luhut in a statement on December 19.

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The Indonesian government is currently focusing on building the country’s super-priority tourism destinations in five provinces comprising Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Bunaken in North Sulawesi, and Bangka Belitung on Sumatera island.

To do so, the development of the 7.1 trillion rupiahs ($504.4 million) project in five destinations, will involve collaboration with different parties, including China.

Luhut said the meeting between the officials of the two nations also touched on the issues of strategic investment, trade, infrastructure, and healthcare that relates to the Covid-19 handling. The cooperation is expected to boost the economy and quality of life for Indonesians in the post-pandemic era.

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During the meeting, China’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Zhang Xu, expressed his appreciation to the Indonesian government for its openness to improve the economy during the pandemic. He lauded the friendship that both countries have for a long time.

“We agree to carry out collaborations in a bid to improve the economic recovery due to the pandemic, to promote cooperation in the economic and bilateral trade sectors, especially in the area of tourism to increase the economic growth and people’s welfare,” he said.

(Writer: Yohana Artha Uly | Editor: Bambang P. Jatmiko)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/12/19/151846426/indonesia-china-berkolaborasi-dorong-pembangunan-pariwisata-dalam-negeri.