The tourism industry needs to prepare itself so it can guarantee high standards of cleanliness, health, safety, and sustainability on the goods and services it offers to tourists, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy and head of the TCE board, Wishnutama Kusubandio, said on Tuesday.
"For that reason, there needed to be a practical guide book for the tourism industry to prepare their goods and services, (and) ensure cleanliness, health, safety and sustainability, especially (when it comes to) hotels and restaurants," he said.
The guide on health protocols emerged out of the Health Minister's Decree number HK.01.07/Menkes/382/2020 on Health Protocols for the People in Public Places and Facilities in the effort to Prevent and Control COVID-19.
The book was developed with inputs from a number of parties, including restaurant and hotel business associations, associations of professionals in hospitality and restaurant sectors, as well as academics, and in accordance with the health protocols formulated by the Health Ministry and directives issued by the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling.
The book provides both general as well as special guidelines.
The general guidelines cover management or governance of hotels and restaurants, including staying abreast of the latest information, advice, and instructions from the central and regional government on COVID-19, creating standard operational procedures, providing and displaying written advice, and implementing basic health protocols for workers, guests, and other parties carrying out activities in the premises, including wearing of masks, maintaining of physical distance, and washing of hands.
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Meanwhile, the special guidelines include three hotel and restaurant services flows: from the entrance doors to the employee rooms. They are meant for business owners and managements, and include information about the facilities that need to be provided, guidelines for guests, and guidelines for workers.
Kusubandio said he believes it is important that health protocols are implemented accordingly, as they are part of efforts to reactivate the tourism and creative economy sectors, and increase confidence and productivity among the people and offer them a sense of safety from COVID-19.
The guide can also be referred by provincial and municipal governments, as well as hotel and restaurant business associations and professionals, as they carry out socialization, education, simulation, trials, training, and coaching, and supervise and evaluate the implementation of the Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) program to promote confidence, business reputation, and tourism destinations.
The minister said he hopes public understanding on the implementation of health protocols by hotel and restaurant businesses would increase with the release of the guide, and at the same time, the book would spur Indonesia's tourism industry to further improve on quality.
More information on the guide is available on https://www.kemenparekraf.go.id/post/panduan-pelaksanaan-kebersihan-kesehatan-keselamatan-dan-kelestarian-lingkungan-untuk-sektor-parekraf.
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Translator: Hanni Sofia/Aria Cindyara
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
