VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno perceives Bali as a benchmark for the revival of tourism and the creative economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the preparedness of the tourist resort’s tourism destinations and creative economy, Bali can rise up from its economic downturn as well as become a role model for other regions in the country.

"Bali is the backbone of Indonesia's tourism and creative economy," he noted in a statement here on Monday.

Uno spoke of being handed over a special task by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to focus on five super-priority destinations. Bali should serve as a paradigm for the five super-priority destinations to revive the tourism sector and creative economy.

"President Jokowi urged me to focus on the five super-priority destinations. However, these five super-priority destinations should take a cue from Bali since it is a world-class destination. Hence, if we want to develop it, we have to learn from Bali all aspects of readying tourist destinations. Everyone wants Bali to become the main reference," he asserted.

During a dialogue with businessmen engaged in the tourism sector and creative economy in Bali, Uno claimed to have a program to boost economic recovery.

"I encourage innovation, adaptation, and collaboration programs. In the framework of collaboration, I need inputs from champions of the creative economy. I will study these inputs to later become our materials for reviving the economy," he explained.

The minister plans to expand grant funds for tourism entrepreneurs and the creative economy under the short-term plan for the recovery program.

"For the short term, it is to expand grant funds to cover tourism and creative economy businesses outside hotels and restaurants in addition to covering many elements of the creative economy," he stated.

The new minister spoke of having received requests from the governor and deputy governor of Bali for the government to facilitate local businessmen through the provision of soft loans amounting to Rp9.9 trillion in total. In connection with this matter, Uno highlighted his intent to coordinate with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani. (antaranews)