Indonesian Tourism Minister Lobby Saudi Arabia's Travel Restriction

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Tuesday announced that he has reached out to Saudi Arabia after the country imposed travel restrictions for its citizens, among many countries on its list, Indonesia is one of them.

Uno said he has communicated with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib to find a solution to the travel restriction related to Covid-19. 2019 data by Statistics Indonesia shows that Saudi Arabian tourist visitations to Indonesia amount to 157,512 tourists with an average individual tourist spending of US$2,277.

“We have communicated with the Saudi Minister of Tourism and Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia upon finding an immediate solution,” said Sandiaga on May 24, Antaranews reported. 

He claims to have requested the government to encourage Saudi citizens to visit Indonesia instead as tourists from Saudi Arabia are one of many countries that have contributed to the local tourism and creative economy sectors. 

Sandiaga Uno reported that he had communicated with the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry as it is a bilateral issue and also with the Ministry of Health to disseminate Indonesia’s handling of the pandemic which is hoped to help reassure the Saudi government to overturn its travel restriction.

“Vaccination programs and the handling of Indonesia’s Covid-19 situation has been acknowledged by the international community and has become the best practice that has an effect on the rising economy,” said Uno.

ANTARA

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