COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change Tourism Trends Worldwide: President Jokowi

Cabinet Secretary listens to President Jokowi’s direction in a limited meeting on the new normal in tourism sector, Thursday (28/5). (Photo by: Agung/PR).

The COVID-19 pandemic will change tourism trends worldwide, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“Issues such as hygiene, safety, and security will become the main concerns for travelers,” the President said in a limited meeting, Thursday (28/5).

Holiday reference, he added, will also shift to alternative holidays such as solo tours, wellness tours, virtual tourism, and staycations.

“Tourism industry and the creative economy must really anticipate those changes and we must also be able to follow the direction of the changes,” he said, adding that Indonesia must innovate, improve, and quickly adapt to the trends that are likely to occur later in tourism sector worldwide.

The Head of State also explained that safety and health are main issues so the new normal protocols in tourism sector really have to answer the issues.

“(We can) start from a strict health protocol on transportation, hospitality, restaurant, and also in tourist destinations,” he said, adding that benchmarking with other countries is necessary to prepare for the new normal in tourism sector.

The President also called for a new standard to be prepared in tourism sector.

“Massive dissemination, followed by trials, simulations, and supervision are needed so that the health protocol standards are carried out on the ground,” he said, adding that once an imported case occurs and a health impact prevails, it will be difficult to fix the bad image of the tourism area.

“Therefore, it really has to be calculated and supervision must be carried out,” he said.

The President further said that a special strategy is also needed to promote tourism during the new normal. “We need to focus first on boosting domestic tourism,” he said.

For this reason, the President said he had ordered identification of tourist destinations with R0 and Rt below 1.

“So we can gradually open the tourism sector by adhering to strict health protocols,” he added.

The Head of State also called on Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Wishnutama Kusubandio to prepare a promotion program for domestic travel safe from COVID-19, including intensifying the promotion of local products and tourism attractions.

However, the President warned against rushing to open tourist areas but told the Minister to gradually monitor which areas are ready for opening. (FID/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas