"We are witnessing a significant increase of 70 percent. In Balikpapan, all hotel rooms have been reserved ahead of Independence Day," he remarked in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The minister expressed optimism that the national ceremony marking Independence Day, planned for August 17, will boost the local economy by 20-30 percent.
Uno said his confidence arose from the results of his ministry's study, which shows that holding major events tends to bring economic benefits to people residing around the venue.
He then drew attention to the growth of various small and medium enterprises (UKMs) operating in the vicinity of the future capital city.
"We are truly delighted with the growth of UKMs around the IKN. Moreover, we are currently striving to develop tourism villages there," he stated.
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Earlier, Uno remarked that the government had prepared several tourism destinations around Nusantara to welcome the anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day, including the islands of Derawan and Maratua in Berau District, which offer underwater panoramas, coral reefs, and white sand beaches as their main appeals.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Wonderful Indonesia Co-Branding Forum II on July 27, the minister remarked that his side had also assisted micro, small, and medium enterprises in making preparations to exhibit their products in a dedicated gallery at Nusantara's National Axis.
According to the plan, the gallery would display products from various sub-sectors, such as culinary, craft, fashion, music, film, intellectual property, and furniture.
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Translator: Putu Indah, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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