He said that his ministry was tasked by Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy to assist with homecoming travel arrangements during the Eid period.
"We then offered a travel pattern that included tourism destinations to travelers, and travelers indicated their preference to visit tourism villages located along their homecoming route," the minister informed during the ministry's weekly press briefing, accessed by virtual means here on Tuesday.
The minister pointed out that the occupancy rate at homestays in tourism villages located near the Borobudur Temple site in Magelang, Central Java, increased by 100 percent.
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Other tourism villages in Central Java also saw a similar surge, he said. While the Tegalmulyo tourism village in Klaten district recorded five thousand tourists, at least 1,700 tourists visited the Cikakak tourism village in Banyumas District, 1,357 tourists visited the Pentingsari tourism village in Sleman district, and 400 travelers came to the Kalibiru tourism village in Kulonprogo, Uno noted.
Other tourism villages, such as Pentagen Village in Kerinci District, Jambi, and Kerapu Village in Situbondo District, East Java, recorded 6,320 and 100 tourists during the Eid holiday period, respectively, he added.
"We are now waiting for reports from (Central Java's) Sangiran tourism village in Sragen District and Sumberwuluh Tourism Village in Karanganyar District," Uno informed.
He also expressed pride that the top 50 tourism villages featured in the 2021 Indonesia Tourism Villages Award (ADWI) were promoted on social media and national television, driving the tourism surge.
Given the increasing visits, the minister said he is confident that tourism villages will become credible alternative destinations for travelers as long as tourism village operators continue working to improve their villages.
"I also want to remind tourism village operators to enforce the health protocols. They must also work for CHSE (Clean, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability) certification and sustainable tourism village certification, as well as win the Indonesia Tourism Village Award and implement waste management programs," Uno added.
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Translator: M Baqir Idrus A, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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