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Azwani Awi, chairperson of the Indonesian Association of Tourism Businessmen (ASPPI) of Aceh branch. ANTARA/M Haris SA

The tourism industry in Aceh Province is ready to embrace the new normal amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Azwani Awi, chairperson of the Indonesian Association of Tourism Businessmen (ASPPI) of Aceh branch, stated.

The new normal was to revive Aceh's tourism industry that had collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Awi noted in Banda Aceh on Monday.

"The tourism industry in Aceh is ready to usher in a new normal order. Moreover, tourism destinations in Aceh have implemented a similar pattern to adapt to the new normal," he remarked.

Tourist destinations that have followed the requisite health protocols in the new normal include an urban forest park in Langsa City that reopened since Eid al-Fitr (May 24) after been closed from early March 2020.

To prevent the transmission of COVID-19, the park applies government-set health protocols that necessitate every visitor to wear a mask and maintain a safe distance from one another.

"Of course, every visitor undergoes body temperature screening. During this process, the identity of visitors is checked. Thus, if there is a confirmed COVID-19 case, the patient's travel history can be tracked," he explained.

In addition to the urban forest park, several other tourism destinations are making necessary preparations to reopen in accordance with the new normal scenario. These preparations are a step towards the revival of the tourism sector in Indonesia's westernmost province, he remarked.

"Now, it depends on the policies of the central and regional governments. The tourism industry in Aceh is ready to embrace the new normal as set by the government," Awi noted.