The presence of foreign tourists remains the hope of Bali tourism which now sinking due to the pandemic – IST
December 24, 2020 Kanal Bali
DENPASAR – President Joko Widodo inaugurated Sandiaga Uno as the new Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy on Wednesday (23/12/2020). He is expected to help Bali prepare for the opening of international tourism.
Head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Badung, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya hopes, Sandiaga can immediately consolidate about this issue. “We need to have to step on the gas to generate tourism, because we already entering the third stage in order to open Bali to international tourists,” said Rai.
“We need to do consolidation with all stakeholders in Bali, because Bali is the spirit of Indonesia’s tourism model and the locomotive of our national tourism,” he continued.
Regarding performance improvement, Rai admitted that he encouraged Sandiaga Uno to pay more attention to tourism grant funds which had not been running optimally 100%.
“This new minister is expected to be able considering the other entrepreneurs, not just hotels and restaurants for the 2021 budget,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of PHRI Denpasar Ida Bagus Gede Sidharta believes, Sandiaga Uno will be able to absorb the aspirations of many parties. “He is a businessman, although not in full tourism, but the business concept certainly knows a lot about how to turn on an industry. We hope that he can able to see the details of the problems faced by tourism actors,” said this entrepreneur from Sanur.
“I think this is a challenge for the new minister, how to formulate strategies so that tourism can immediately rise up. Handling tourism in the middle of this pandemic needs mutual cooperation, good communication dan coordinationto be able to work together,” explained the man who is also the Head of the Regional Tourism Promotion Board. (BPPD) Denpasar.
Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, Putu Astawa, also expressed similar hopes. The recovery of tourism in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is a big hope that is pinned on Sandiaga Uno’s shoulders.
“My hope is that the new minister will continue to support efforts to restore Bali tourism, towards quality, competitive and sustainable Balinese cultural tourism. As well as encourage the development of the Balinese creative industry from upstream to downstream,” he said. (Kanalbali / ACH).
