"It is these challenges that hinder the growth of our industry of events. We believe that open dialogues and collaboration between industry players, academics, and regulators are key to identifying the best solutions to this matter," she said.
At a press conference in Jakarta on Monday (October 6), she highlighted that industry players often find it difficult to organize events due to limited capital and the exponential amount of initial funds needed, citing the importance of attracting investors.
This unfavorable condition, she continued, is coupled with the rather cumbersome and lengthy bureaucratic processes required for event organizers or investors to obtain the requisite permits.
Furthermore, the minister drew attention to the need for all stakeholders to affirm their commitment to environmental sustainability by improving the monitoring of carbon footprints generated by events.
"Also crucial is to pay more attention to the accessibility aspect," Wardhana added, highlighting the issue of the inadequate and imbalanced development of supporting infrastructure and facilities among regions.
She stressed that the Ministry of Tourism is dedicated to finding ways to address these issues, as it believes that the events industry can be a key driver of the national economy.
In this regard, Wardhana underscored that the industry has the potential to create jobs, stimulate the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises, boost local economies, and enhance Indonesia's tourism appeal globally.
Separately, the ministry's Deputy for the Development of Event Organization, Vinsensius Jemadu, highlighted the need to upgrade tourism infrastructure and facilities to further raise Indonesia's attractiveness in tourism.
He underlined that according to data from the International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA), Indonesia ranks 37th globally and 10th in the Asia-Pacific in terms of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.
Singapore tops Southeast Asia's ranking, owing to its well-developed infrastructure and facilities, he added.
In an effort to address this issue, Jemadu noted that the Tourism Ministry plans to hold the Southeast Asia Business Events Forum (Seabef) on October 10-11 and Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Fair (WITF) 2025 on October 9-12 at Pantai Indah Kapuk 2, Tangerang, Banten.
He explained that Seabef is designed to facilitate open dialogues and collaboration to create a more inclusive and sustainable tourism ecosystem, while the WITF is dedicated to showcasing Indonesia's tourism potential to the world.
Related news: Tourism Ministry urges MICE players to apply sustainability principles
Translator: Hreeloita D, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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