TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) has continued to activate an Integrated Crisis Center since the COVID-19 outbreak, as a communication channel for the community, geared to dampen the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector and the creative economy.

Spokesperson for the Kemenparekraf COVID-19 Task Force, Ari Juliano Gema, explained that an integrated crisis communication is paramount in minimizig the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in tourism crisis management.

"We have activated the Kemenparekraf crisis communication since March 17, 2020, in accordance to the tourism crisis management SOP (Standard Operational Procedure) initiated from inputs with crisis management practitioners and communication experts throughout 2018-2019," Ari stated in Jakarta, Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

In response to COVID-19, Kemenparekraf has also opened a number of communication channels accessable to the public, including through official websites and social media.

"In regards to the Kemenparekraf response to COVID-19, there are public communication channels that can be utilized; at IG (Instagram) @ kemen.parekraf, IG (Instagram) @indtravel, and (official website) www.kemenparekraf.go.id," he said. The official website is also hyperlinked to a special COVID-19 microsite namely https://pedulicovid19.kemenparekraf.go.id/.

Every communication channel has been integrated and directly connected to the Whatsapp based contact center at 08118956767. The contact center will be operated by staff from the information center staff wduring business hours, and chatbot outside of business hours.

Kemenparekraf, added Ari, continues to collect data, aided by Regional Governments, on the tourism industry and the creative economy affected by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the nation. "We are in the process of collecting data on the tourism sector and the creative economy affected by COVID-19 in all regions," he said.

Once the necessary data have been collected, Kemenparekraf will implement a tourism sector and creative economy mitigation plan. "We have also communicated plans for the tourism sector and creative economy mitigation to all regional governments last week," Ari said.

Furthermore, Kemenparekraf has expressed their commitments to open an online forum in the immediate future to generate input from workers and stakeholders in the tourism industry. The inputs gathered from the online forum will then be utilized as referral material for consideration in developing future policies.

ANTARA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)