The creative economy products’ trade balance registered a 60-percent surplus in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022 despite a spike in COVID-19 cases during the period, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno noted.
“The largest export destinations were the United States of America (USA), Switzerland, and Singapore,” he stated during a working meeting with Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) on Monday.
According to data presented by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry at the working meeting, the export value of creative economy products to the US was recorded at US$3.31 billion (Rp49.75 trillion), or 37.78 percent.
Meanwhile, the export value to Switzerland and Singapore had been recorded at US$1.09 billion (Rp16.38 trillion), or 13.19 percent, and US$384.13 million (Rp5.77 trillion), or 4.63 percent
The minister noted that in the first quarter of 2022, the exports of creative economy products grew 56.16 percent, which was better than the average national exports that increased by 35.25 percent.
Fashion products were the largest contributor to the exports, valued at around US$4.68 billion (Rp70.34 trillion), or 56.53 percent of the total export value.
Crafts emerged as the second-largest contributor to the export value, recorded at 38.05 percent, or US$3.15 billion (Rp47.35 trillion).
“The value add of the creative economy (sector) had increased gradually but significantly, as it reached Rp1,191 trillion (US$79.2 billion) in 2021. Meanwhile, it is targeted to reach Rp1,236 trillion (US$82.2 billion) in 2022 and Rp1,279 trillion in 2023 (US$85.09 billion),” Uno revealed.
Furthermore, he stated that since the start of 2022 to date, around 603,358 tourists had visited Indonesia, as most of them came from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and the United States.
“The top three destinations were Bali Province, Jakarta Province, and Batam Island in Riau Islands Province,” he remarked.
The ministry has targeted foreign tourist visits to reach 1.8 million to 3.6 million in 2022 and 7.4 million in 2023.
Meanwhile, trips by domestic tourists are targeted to reach 544 to 621 million in 2022 and 642 million in 2023.
Furthermore, the tourism foreign exchange value is estimated to reach US$0.47 billion (Rp7.06 trillion) to US$1.7 billion (Rp25.5 trillion) in 2022 and around US$6 billion (Rp90.18 trillion) in 2023.
“Regarding the contribution of the tourism industry to the national gross domestic product (GDP), it is targeted to reach 4.3 percent in 2022,” the minister added.
Source: Antara News