Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has declared Untung Jawa Island Tourist Village, South Kepulauan Seribu district, Jakarta, as the nation's 50th best tourist village during the Indonesia Tourist Villages Awards (ADWI) 2021.

In a written statement released here on Saturday, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno stated that he hopes that the tourist destination in the island can promptly recover the people's economy.

"This day fills me with emotion and pride since I used to mentor Untung Jawa Island, and for that I say congratulations. This is something that we have to prepare immediately, because job opening depends on tourism and the creative economy," Uno remarked.

With this, Untung Jawa Island can compete with other world-class tourist villages such as Penglipuran Tourist Village, Bali, which is known to be the cleanest tourist village in the world, he said.

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There are also the Jatiluwih Tourist Village in Tabanan, Bali, Nglanggeran Tourist Village in Gunung Kidul district and Pentingsari Tourist Village in Sleman district, Yogyakarta, he added.

"These villages are world class, but as it turns out, tourist villages in the capital city, namely Setu Babakan and Untung Jawa Island, bear an extraordinary potential," Uno said.

He expressed the hope that Untung Jawa, as well as the other island, can live up to Kepulauan Seribu's tagline, which is 'Thousand Island, Thousand Beauty'.

"I pray that the tourism and creative economy can immediately recover and revive, create jobs, and make the people prosper," he said.

While visiting Untung Jawa Island, he had said that the reopening of the tourism sector is dependent on the acceleration of COVID-19 vaccinations.

It also hinges on the implementation of strict health protocols by citizens, tourism destination managers, and tourists, he added.

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Translator: M Baqir Alatas, Fadhli R
Editor: Suharto
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