"We need to ensure that 2022 is the year of recovery, and we need to open more job opportunities," he said at the ‘Deep Dive Into Safe COVID-19 Tourism’ virtual press conference, accessed from here on Thursday.
Uno said the government, together with all related parties, needed to ensure that the business sector will continue to run through a series of recovery efforts.
According to the minister, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shift in tourists' preference from mass tourist destinations concentrated in one large area to open space and smaller tourist destinations, such as tourism villages.
"Tourism villages have experienced a 30 percent increase in visitors in 2021," he revealed.
Related news: Tourism Ministry aims for 128 tourism villages in West Kalimantan
He then said that his ministry has adjusted to the situation by encouraging healthier lifestyle habits for the local community, training on health protocols, utilizing the PeduliLindungi application, and ensuring environmental cleanliness and food materials that meet health quality standards.
The minister expressed optimism that 2022 will be the year for Indonesia to win against the pandemic.
"And if we can collaborate, a new economy will be formed in tourism villages, which will be our driving force to create more opportunities and recover the number of jobs lost during the pandemic," he added.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same conference, spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said that tourism villages are part of the government's pandemic control program.
The program includes easing restrictions on foreign tourist arrivals, including scrapping quarantine for foreign tourists visiting Batam, Bintan, and Bali, he added.
According to Adisasmito, the step was taken as part of the government's pandemic recovery efforts while still implementing strict health protocols.
Related news: Over 1.56 million tourists visited Indonesia last year: BPS
Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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