Ministry holds forum on improving tourism destination governance

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy held a cross-stakeholder tourism communication forum on improving the governance of super-priority tourism destinations (DPSP) from Likupang to Manado, North Sulawesi.”I hope that the implementation of tourism destination governance and acceleration of the Manado-Likupang DPSP development through strengthening collaboration networks can be realized,” Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said in an official statement received here on Saturday. The effort is needed to improve the quality of experience, length of stay, and economic impact, as well as ensure that social culture and ecology can be sustained by structuring visitor management and waste and garbage management, he added. “We also need interpretation techniques and hospitality management, supply chains, and the creative economy in a sustainable tourism ecosystem,” Uno said. Meanwhile, the Acting Deputy for Destination Development and Infrastructure at the ministry, Frans Teguh, said that one of the focus points of tourism development efforts is mobilizing stakeholders to accelerate the development of priority tourism destinations. Destination development must be carried out without being bound by interests, as summarized in a framework that could serve as a tool for destination management, particularly, destination management, destination governance, and leadership, to enhance a destination’s reputation, Teguh stressed. “In terms of achieving tourism development goals through a comprehensive framework, collaboration from across interests is needed by cultivating a mentality of openness, namely open mind, open will, and open heart,” he added. Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary for Destination and Infrastructure Development at the ministry, Oneng Setya Harini, said that the Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) concept is needed to strengthen collaboration in carrying out the function of destination management. “We have seven challenges in the tourism sector, namely issues of climate change and environmental sustainability, security and safety of life, economic stability, technological advances, behavior change, overtourism, and regulations and policies. By improving our tourism management, we can find solutions to overcome the problems,” Harini added.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)