Indonesia Unlikely to Achieve its Tourism Arrivals Target This Year: Minister

KOMPAS.com - Indonesia's Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said it is unlikely that the country will able to achieve the target of four to seven million tourist arrivals this year.  

"In 2021 we set the target of four to seven million arrivals. This is impossible because as of now we still close our borders to foreigners," Sandiaga said during an online talk show on Wednesday, January 27.

The estimation for the arrival of foreign tourists is stated in the Ministry's Strategic Target Indicators based on gross domestic income, foreign exchange, foreign tourists and domestic tourists, as well as labor, exports, and imports.

Also read: Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia to Receive 15 Million Doses of Covid-19 Bulk Vaccine Tuesday | Indonesia Extends Ban on Foreigners to End of January | Water Park near Jakarta Closed for Flouting Covid

"All of the figures will change as we still continue to evaluate and we need input from all relevant parties. And how we can bring more quality and sustainability in the tourism sector," he said.

Sandiaga went on to say that from January to September 2020, the number of foreign tourists who came to Indonesia stood at only 3.56 million, or decreased by 70.75 percent as compared to 12.1 million in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Foreigners banned from entering Indonesia

Indonesia has extended the temporary restrictions on foreign visitors' entry until February 8 since its first implementation on December 22, 2020.

Also read: Garuda Indonesia Complies With Temporary Ban on Foreigners

The policy was conveyed by the Chairman of the Committee of Covid-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery Airlangga Hartarto at the Presidential Office on Monday, January 11.

Foreign tourists are still prohibited from entering the country based on the Law and Human Rights Ministry Regulation No.26/2020 on the Visas and Stay Permits in the Adaptation Period for New Normal. This regulation will only allow foreigners on business trips to enter Indonesia.

(Writer: Nabilla Ramadhian | Editor: Kahfi Dirga Cahya)

Source: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2021/01/27/182100127/sandiaga-pesimis-dengan-target-kunjungan-wisman-tahun-2021