Sandiaga Uno Lures Investors to Invest in Labuan Bajo with High Returns

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno persuaded investors to invest in five super-priority destinations, including Labuan Bajo and Mandalika. He asserted that investment in the tourism sector will provide great profits.

“The return [is high]. The potential for this high return is because it is not only related to financial returns, but also has an impact on the ecology,” said Sandiaga at his office, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, December 20, 2022.

The government is developing several tourist destinations across the archipelago other than Bali. Apart from Labuan Bajo and Mandalika, he mentioned other potential tourist sites, such as Kupang and Borobudur.

He also encouraged investors to enter eight tourism special economic zones. They are Morotai, Singosari, Tanjung Lesung, Likupang, Lido, Nongsa, Tanjung Kelayang, and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

However, this does not mean that Bali is closed for investment. The government, Sandiaga went on, hopes that investment in the island will be spread evenly into the northern part. “Tourism [development] in Bali is not only centered on South Bali but also West Bali and North Bali,” he added.

He believed that the tourism sector would recover and grow starting in 2023 despite a threat of economic uncertainty due to the global recession. He targeted foreign tourist visits in 2023 to increase to 7.5 million, or double this year's calculation of 3.6 million.

“The movement of domestic tourists is also targeted at 1.2-1.4 billion and [so the tourism sector can] absorb 1.1-1.4 million new workers,” Sandiaga Uno said.

NABILA NURSHAFIRA

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