TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno shared optimism that the business sector engaged in the tourism industry will begin to recover in the second half of this year. The recovery, he added, is driven by the ongoing vaccination program and increasing public compliance with the health protocols.

“Hopefully in the second half, we can see the beginning of the revival of the tourism sector and the creative economy,” said Sandiaga in a voice recording released by his special team on Monday, February 22.

He assessed that the recovery is highly dependent on the implementation of health protocols and the government's efforts to curb virus transmission.

Both health and economic recovery, he added, will keep running with the vaccination program as the spearhead. He further hoped that 34 million tourism and creative economy players can immediately receive the Covid-19 vaccine to speed up the goal.

“I will talk to the Health Minister (Budi Gunadi Sadikin) tonight,” said Sandiaga, hoping it could be carried out in early or mid-March.

With the accelerated vaccination, Indonesia is expected to achieve herd immunity, or vaccinate at least 70 percent of the population, by the end of the year.

“We are proposing it to kick off in Bali because Bali’s tourism sector and the creative economy are the most affected sectors [by the Covid-19 pandemic],” said Sandiaga Uno.

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FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA