"Tourism is one of the best foreign exchange earners. How can we expect foreign tourists to come to Indonesia if our cities are slums and our villages are dirty?" he stated during his speech at the mass signing of subsidized housing loans in Serang, Banten, on Saturday.
Prabowo said that clean cities and villages are a crucial factor in attracting foreign tourists. Without a well-organized and comfortable environment, Indonesia will struggle to compete with other countries, he added.
To achieve this, he said that he plans to convene all regional heads early next year to discuss a comprehensive regional planning strategy.
Each province will be encouraged to have an architectural team tasked with assisting local governments in developing master plans for the provincial and district capitals, Prabowo noted.
The master plan aims to create a clean and beautiful region, thereby supporting national tourism progress, he remarked.
According to the president, effective and well-structured environmental management could elevate Indonesia into a leading global tourism destination branded as "Beautiful Indonesia," increasing tourism-related foreign exchange earnings.
"Create a master plan for a clean and beautiful city. The impact will be extraordinary. Make Indonesia beautiful," Prabowo emphasized.
Earlier, the Tourism Ministry promoted the Clean Tourism Movement, where cleanliness is a main requirement for a destination to evolve.
Tourism destinations with high levels of cleanliness are considered to have higher social value, indicating a civilized society and a professional industry.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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