The management, preparation, and implementation of the homecoming exodus during the Eid al-Fitr holiday this year has shown an improvement, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, has noted.
He lauded miistries, agencies, regional governments, the Indonesian Military (TNI), and the National Police (Polri) for ensuring a smooth Eid exodus.
"We would also like to thank the Crisis Management Team from Deputy IV (of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy) that immediately took action to ensure that the tourism and creative economy sectors participated in ensuring that there were no inconveniences among homecomers that have not been handled," he said at a weekly press briefing, accessed online from here on Monday.
After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Eid homecoming exodus presented business opportunities in urban and rural areas because there was a circulation of around Rp72 trillion, Uno said.
“All tourist destinations are full. I received reports from several monitorings that the number of tourists was huge, and this was in line with our target," he added.
Anecdotally, a number of tourist destinations, especially in Bali, were visited by a large number of tourists during the Eid holiday, he said citing data.
The total tourist spending in the tourism and creative economy sectors in Bali may have reached Rp250 billion, he predicted.
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“The economic impact has not been calculated in detail. However, we are optimistic that based on reports we received in regions, the impact on the tourism business sector has been very positive," the minister said.
This year, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the Indonesian government allowed people to travel to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in view of the improving pandemic situation in the country.
People joining the homecoming exodus were urged to complete their primary and booster vaccinations. Those not meeting the vaccination requirement were asked to show a negative COVID-19 test result.
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