Indonesia’s tourism sector is expecting to receive a welcome boost in the months ahead, as the nation hosts the G20 in 2022. With the year-long presidency now underway, Indonesia’s tourism leaders and government officials are planning to leverage the success of the summit to spark a nationwide – and global – tourism revival.
Held from 1 December 2021 to 30 November 2022, this year’s G20 is built around the theme: Recover Together, Recover Stronger. Through its presidency, Indonesia intends to facilitate better cooperation between nations and spearhead tourism’s recovery worldwide.
“Inclusiveness is the spirit of the Indonesian presidency,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi during her Annual Press statement yesterday (6/1). “Indonesia wants to make the G20 a catalyst for global recovery and concrete cooperation that is beneficial for developing countries,” she added.
Many industry leaders and observers are hoping the G20 can provide a springboard for Indonesian tourism, by demonstrating Bali’s readiness to safely receive visitors and also showcasing the many delights that make the island one of the world’s premier holiday destinations.
“The G20 will signal that Indonesia is ready to receive guests,” said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Monday (3/1), adding that the Government of Indonesia is preparing “every single aspect” of the event provision, with particular focus on Covid-19 health protocols. The G20 will implement a “bubble” system, which will place certain restrictions on the movements and activities of participants in order to ensure their safety.
In the months ahead, Bali will welcome thousands of international visitors from the 20 member countries, along with 38 world leaders, 60 accompanying ministers and 6,000 members of the press, who will attend more than 150 meetings. As Indonesian tourism gradually comes back online, this influx of new arrivals is expected to provide a fillip for the industry, along with a major financial boost.
“The total expenditure of the delegation during the event will be obtained by hotels, venues, restaurants, vendors, organisers, the MSME industry, tours and travel, tourist attractions, and others,” explained Rizki Handayani, who is Deputy for Tourism Products and Event Organisers at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, in a statement following confirmation of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency last month.
Since its formation in 1999, the G20 Summit has provided a rallying point for world leaders; a platform where they can discuss policy, investment and reform in relation to a wide variety of topics, including tourism, infrastructure development and climate change. There are a total of 20 member states, which represent 85% of the world’s GDP, 80% of global investment, 75% of world trade and 66% of the world’s population. This makes the G20 a unique opportunity to positively impact the planet and its peoples.
