Illustrative image (Photo: ANN) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia is considering opening the country for travelers from China, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Japan and Australia to recover the economy, said government official.
Speaking at a video press conference on June 12, the coordinating ministry for maritime and investment affairs, Odo Manuhutu, said Indonesia is setting up a tourism corridor for the four countries.
But he does not give the time when will it be opened. He asserted that the tourism activities will be opened under tight health protocols.
He quoted senior minister for maritime and investment affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan as saying that besides foreign tourists, it needs an effort to recover and improve the tourism sector, as domestic tourists account for 70 percent of the total visitors and contribute 54-56 percent of total tourism revenue.
Meanwhile, head of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association Hariyadi B. Sukamdani said the Indonesian tourism sector suffered losses of at least 1.5 billion USD in the first quarter of 2020 due to the pandemic.
He noted that the fiscal stimulus worth 10.3 trillion Rp (735.71 million USD) has not given much impact to the sector so far. Total losses are estimated at 4 billion USD as foreign holidaymakers plunge.
In the latest report, Moody’s Investors Service rated coronavirus spread will significantly slow economic growth, which will in turn amplify its financial impact on several key corporate sectors, especially tourism.
While, IHS Markit expects, the aggregate dividend payouts from airlines in Asia Pacific (APAC) to drop 20.7 percent to 1.4 billion USD in 2020 from a year ago/.
VNA
