President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called on all tourism stakeholders to help make the tourism industry more resilient and improve the welfare of the people.
He conveyed this request at the peak of the 42nd World Tourism Day commemoration in Bali on Tuesday.
“We have to rethink to make the tourism sector more resilient and improve the welfare of the community,” the President said in a virtual speech that was broadcast on the official YouTube channel of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The gradual recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has helped increase international tourist visits to the country, which, at the beginning of this year, were double compared to the same period in 2021, he noted.
Similar patterns have also been observed in other parts of the globe, which indicate that human connectivity is starting to show a resurgence, he added.
However, he emphasized that there are many global challenges faced by the tourism sector.
“Sharp inflation in several countries, expensive transportation fuel, unresolved geopolitical conflicts, and climate change are increasingly affecting all aspects of people’s lives. All these challenges must be faced with creativity, innovation, and global cooperation,” he said.
The President then asked the tourism sector to continue to orient itself toward inclusive and sustainable global economic growth.
The tourism sector must also be environmentally friendly, sustainably preserve local cultures, and involve local communities actively, he said.
To create a resilient tourism sector that can improve people’s welfare, all stakeholders must prioritize quality and sustainable tourism, he emphasized.
“Redesigning the revival of the tourism sector requires hard work from all parties. All stakeholders must start looking for ways to mitigate the changes caused by the rapid development of the world and make the future tourism sector more prepared, more resilient, and have better quality,” he said.
The President also said he appreciated the trust placed by the UNWTO in Indonesia for hosting the commemoration of the 42nd World Tourism Day.
He then invited world tourism organizations to collaborate with and encourage investors to build inclusive, quality, and sustainable tourism in Indonesia.
Source: Antara News