"We must give women equal opportunities, not only as participants but also as leaders,"
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno stated that the 2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference is a momentum to bolster women's role and gender equality in tourism and creative economy.

The 2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Tourism in Asia and the Pacific is scheduled to be held on May 2-4, 2024, in Bali.

Uno remarked here on Tuesday that gender equality is an important issue that should be prioritized in various sectors, including the tourism and the creative economy sectors.

Moreover, 54.22 percent of tourism and creative economy sector workers in Indonesia are women, and they still face disparities, especially in terms of salaries and compensation.

"We must give women equal opportunities, not only as participants but also as leaders," he emphasized.

He noted that the meeting will feature women officials and figures who have a major role in advancing the tourism industry in Indonesia and in the world as speakers and will be attended by 200 delegates from various countries.

Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani noted that the meeting is held as an effort to meet one of the pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely gender equality.

"The holding of this conference in Indonesia also shows that Indonesia, as a member of UN Tourism, is taking an active role in the Asia-Pacific region," she explained.

Adyani further stated that the conference is a regional conference in the Asia-Pacific region, with 22 member countries, and several international speakers from outside the Asia-Pacific region are also invited.

Head of the ministry's Human Resources Development Center Andar Danova L. Goeltom stated that the involvement of women in the tourism and creative economy sectors plays an important role, especially in terms of innovation and creativity.

Hence, better utilization of available talents is expected to benefit the economy, with improvement in productivity and probability in the tourism sector.

"More inclusive and diverse participants can attract more tourists and strengthen the reputation of tourist destinations as friendly and open to all," he remarked.

Related news: Women are agents of peace: Foreign Minister Marsudi
Related news: Indonesia lauds UN Tourism rebranding, aligns with national strategies

Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2024