The return of tourists would become key to supporting the economy amid uncertainties and weak external demand, the report entitled Reviving Tourism Post-Pandemic stated.
The report further said that several efforts need to be made by tourism industry players to strengthen competitiveness, including carrying out digitalization to boost productivity and readying adequate social support systems.
Therefore, implementing market diversification and expansion by addressing gaps in information and communication technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital skills could help revive tourism.
In addition, the pandemic is estimated to have changed tourists' preferences, with growing interest in domestic trips, nature tourist destinations, and experiences that focus on health and fitness.
The OECD report is in line with the plan of the Indonesian government to attract foreign tourists in 2023 following the easing of restrictions on people's activities.
Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) on March 1, 2023, showed that the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia reached 735.95 thousand in January 2023, an increase of 503.34 percent from 121.98 thousand in January 2022.
The figure supported the government’s target of achieving 7.4 million foreign tourist arrivals by the end of 2023.
Ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday period in late April, the government is making improvements and preparing anticipatory measures for several tourism services. During the holiday, the number of domestic tourist trips is projected to reach 300 million–350 million.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno assured that the 7-day collective leave and holidays would be optimally utilized, with at least 25 percent of the target of 1.2 billion–1.4 billion domestic tourist trips for 2023 expected to be achieved during the Eid exodus period.
To achieve this, the ministry will coordinate with officials in regions and stakeholders to ensure that potential tourist visits can be maximized, including by paying attention to aspects that are related to Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability (CHSE) as well as security.
Uno projected that the economic impact of this year's Eid exodus period would be around Rp100 trillion–Rp150 trillion, with 123.8 million people expected to join the exodus and go on a holiday during the period.
He also expressed the hope that the potential surge in passengers and trips of domestic tourists, which are predicted to record a nearly 50-percent increase during the period, would not be hampered by inadequate services in terms of transportation.
He also urged people taking part in the exodus to contribute to the local economy by consuming local foods and buying creative economy products.
The minister also invited exodus travelers to visit tourism villages that have been prepared by regional governments.
Long holiday
Secretary general of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Maulana Yusran, said that there is a chance that travelers will extend their holiday during the Eid period.
Usually, room occupancy starts to increase one week before the Eid holiday period as many people start to plan their visits to tourist destinations for the holiday.
He predicted that destinations with many attractions will draw the interest of many travelers and boost hotel room occupancy to up to 90 percent or more during the period.
Java Island, especially East Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta, usually experience the highest increase in hotel room occupancy. The same goes for Bogor and Bandung, West Java, as well as Bali and Sumatra.
Sumatra itself has its own tourism characteristics, namely cross-province tourist destinations in West Sumatra and North Sumatra.
The absence of restrictions on people's activities during this year's Eid holiday period as well as support in terms of infrastructures that continue to be improved will also offer many choices to the community. Thus, the trend of using private vehicles during exodus will increase.
Yusran also noted that culinary tourism will experience an increase in demand because, during the Eid holiday period, people who return to their hometowns or travel to other regions usually seek foods traditional to the region.
According to him, Indonesian cuisine has the potential to become a tourism promotion tool, just like in other countries. Thailand, Vietnam, and China, for example, have opened many restaurants outside their boundaries so that foreign people become familiar with their cuisine.
Apart from that, several travel or accommodation platforms, such as tiket.com and OYO as well as airlines, are also providing special offers to support consumers planning to travel during the Eid period.
Such discounts have come as a breath of fresh air for travelers who wish to continue their journey of exploring the regions and tourist destinations of Indonesia after being hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Eid, tourism is expected to continue to improve on account of an increasing number of events, such as concerts by famous singers and international-scale sporting events, such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup at the end of August and MotoGP in October.
In addition, the planned arrival of the wide-body Airbus A380 aircraft of the international airline Emirates to Bali in June 2023 has also boosted optimism that the tourism sector is reviving and ready to drive the national economy.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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