Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno pledged on Tuesday to prioritize COVID-19 containment measures while still pursuing industry recovery next year.

“The year 2021 is the moment to start recovering, but we must be disciplined,” Sandiaga stressed during a live-broadcasted press conference at the Hutan Kota by Plataran restaurant in Central Jakarta. “When traveling, we should not compromise on health and must continue to comply with health protocols.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit tourism hard as movement restrictions enforced in countries around the world have discouraged people from traveling. It is expected to continue plaguing Indonesia’s tourism industry next year despite hopes pinned on the rollout of vaccines.

Foreign tourist arrivals rose to 158,200 in October, an increase of 4.57 percent from September, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows. However, the figure was still down 88.25 percent from the same month last year.

The ministry has drastically slashed its foreign tourist arrivals target for this year from 18 million travelers to between 2.8 million and 4 million, less than a quarter of the initial target.

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi announced on Monday that Indonesia was going to close its borders to foreign travelers from around the world for the first two weeks of 2021 amid concerns over the discovery of a more infectious SARS-CoV-2 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The ban is expected to worsen foreign tourist arrival numbers.

Sandiaga, nevertheless, maintained that the ban was in the interest of the state and its people.

“We will prioritize safety,” he stated.

The recently installed minister also pinned his hope on vaccinations in Indonesia, which are expected to begin in next year’s first quarter, to present the country with an opportunity to boost wellness tourism.

Drive-through cinemas, GPS-enabled virtual marathons, nature getaways, herbal goods and working from destinations are among tourism trends highlighted by the ministry as new business opportunities in 2021 as consumers will be more cautious in protecting their health and avoiding crowded and indoor attractions.

A survey by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) involving more than 1,200 Chinese tourists earlier this year confirms that health and safety will become the main concern for future travels.

“The tourists surveyed hope that travel agencies and destinations can do a good job of health and safety protection, take necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of tourists,” the finding reads.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) also suggests that new standards and protocols for safety might be required for tourist facilities.

Tourism and Creative Economy Deputy Minister Angela Tanoesoedibjo said during the briefing that the ministry would continue its “breakthrough” program of providing free-of-charge cleanliness, health, safety and environment (CHSE) certification for businesses in 2021 to help them overcome the pandemic effects.

The ministry has allocated Rp 119 billion (US$8.43 million) to issue the CHSE certificates for businesses in all 34 provinces of the country to boost foreign consumer confidence in travel.

“Consumers will see this sticker and know the location is safe. This is how we standardize health protocol implementation,” she said.

Indonesian Travel Agents Association (Astindo) secretary-general Pauline Suharno expected the government to be more stringent with enforcing public discipline, especially for those who work in the field.

“But do not let businesses, which are already straining under containment measures to break the COVID-19 chain, become victims without government help,” she said in a text message to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. “The industry is already dying, gasping, about to sink.” 

She listed several protocol-compliant tourism trends that offered lifelines for businesspeople, such as virtual tours, selling COVID-19 tests as per travel regulations and focusing more on overland travel, particularly for car rental businesses.

Traveling by land with a private car is less regulated than public transportation, such as airplanes, ships, trains and big buses, as was the case with travel procedures for the Christmas holidays.

Separately, Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI) secretary-general Maulana Yusran contended that the industry would likely continue to need relief funds instead of development funds to pay employees and keep businesses afloat next year. He was calling on the government to extend ongoing programs, such as direct cash transfers (BLT) for employees and electricity bill relief for businesses.

“As long as the pandemic is there, it will be difficult to restore tourism,” he told the Post on Tuesday.