"Based on the collected data, the tourism sector contributed up to 3.6 percent to the national GDP, or US$6.72 billion in 2022," he noted in an official statement received here on Saturday.
According to Uno, the tourism and creative economy sectors have created as many as 22.89 million jobs in 2022.
Moreover, the creative economy sector recorded promising achievement, as the value of exports of creative economy products had risen to US$26.94 billion.
Based on those achievements, Uno expressed optimism at the 6th TEJ Ministerial Round Table at INTEX Osaka, Japan, on Thursday, that Indonesia's tourism sector would be able to recover quickly.
"I am very optimistic that tourism will recover quickly and have a bigger impact on the economy after the pandemic," he remarked.
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His optimism is based on the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia this year, which, as of August 2023, had reached 7.44 million. The government is targeting foreign tourist arrivals to reach 8.5 million in 2023.
In 2022, the number of domestic tourist trips also showed a significant increase of 19.82 percent year on year, reaching 734.86 million trips. The figure is also 1.76 percent higher as compared to the figure recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the meeting, Uno, representing the Indonesian government, invited all parties to transform the tourism sector through innovative initiatives, strategic adaptation, and beneficial collaboration.
The aim is to improve the quality and sustainability of domestic and global tourism.
"Our vision is implementing a series of programs that will not only improve the potential of the industry but also contribute to the growth of the economy and culture in our region, encourage sustainable development, and create memorable experiences for tourists around the world," he explained.
In this regard, he is targeting to make the conditions of the tourism and creative economy sectors return to the pre-pandemic level in 2024.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Raka Adji
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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