Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is currently preparing the 2022-2026 National Action Plan to be used as a reference and guideline in the development of wellness tourism.

The ministry's Deputy for Tourism Products and Event Organizers, Rizki Handayani, at the closing ceremony of the 2022 International Wellness Tourism Conference & Festival (IWTCF) in Solo, Central Java, expressed optimism that all stakeholders would actively collaborate and ensure the sustainability of wellness tourism development in the country.

"We understand that wellness tourism can offer great performance and provide opportunities in the future," Handayani noted in an official statement here on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy lauded all achievements of IWTCF 2022 that encompassed the implementation of six discussion panels with 35 speaker sessions and 13 experience workshops and wellness moments.

From each panel, the ministry is seeking various interesting ideas to be accommodated to be used in preparing the 2022-2026 National Action Plan.

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On that occasion, Handayani highlighted several notes from the IWTCF 2022 conference.

The first pertained to the discussion in panel I that was related to Indonesian wellness products that come from nature, spices, herbal health traditions, culture, healthy foods, herbal medicines, and spas. She emphasized that various issues in panel I should be raised to improve public health.

"In panel II, it is related to the importance of conveying the right narrative about wellness tourism, not only to the global market but also to the government, industry players, and investors, with the right communication and media strategies," she explained.

Panel III discussed the need to explore the types of wellness tourism, such as aromatic experiences, forest bathing, ecotourism, and health events. In panel IV, the discussion tackled ways to ensure health development as a catalyst for the empowerment of the community, women, and youth.

Panel V aimed to ensure that the tourism climate remains conducive and to ensure the convenience of access to finance. Lastly, panel VI discussed support in developing the capacity of human resources in the tourism sector.

"Strategic steps are needed to optimize wellness tourism in Indonesia. This includes regulatory support from ministries, agencies, various local health products and services, as well as human resources, who are committed to developing wellness tourism in Indonesia," she remarked.
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Translator: M Baqir, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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