VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Wishnutama Kusubandio, has stated that his office is preparing new operational procedures for the tourism sector for implementing the new normal, which will be simulated before it is enforced.

After a limited meeting, led by President Joko Widodo on ensuring productivity and safety in the tourism sector under the new normal, in Jakarta on Thursday, the minister said his office is currently preparing stages of opening the tourism sector ahead of the implementation of the new normal.

"The stages would have to be passed by tourism destinations, given that (efforts to check the spread of) COVID-19 have become better with various parameters prepared, until these stages are carried out," he informed.

He added that the standard operational procedures in the tourism sector would be prepared for a number of facilities, for example, hotels, restaurants, and tourist destinations, including various supporting facilities.

Before their implementation, he continued, a simulation of the procedures will be carried out. "After the simulation, we will disseminate information on the procedures, and then we will enter a trial period," he continued.

At the initial stage, however, he plans to prioritize regions or tourist destinations that are truly ready.

"Of course, we will prioritize regions that are ready because regional readiness is important and (we) have coordinated with regional heads who have been ready for this stage," he said.

President Joko Widodo has specifically requested that a new standard for Indonesian tourism be prepared, as the future global tourism trend looks set to change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The President has also directed that the Indonesian tourism sector first focus on attracting domestic tourists, along with the implementation of strict health protocols. (ANTARA)