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Luhut to reopen tourism in Banyuwangi, Bali next week
The former army general said that it would take about a year for the country’s tourist sector to fully recover from the multi-faceted ramifications of the ongoing pandemic.
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Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Panjaitan speaks during a webinar on the government's efforts to promote made-in-Indonesia products in Jakarta on June 23. (Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry/Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry)
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oordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan is set to reopen Banyuwangi in East Java and Bali for tourism in the next few days, as part of the government’s efforts to “gradually” revive the tourism sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“On Wednesday, I will coordinate with the Tourism Minister [Wishnutama Kusubandio], to reopen tourism in Banyuwangi. Then, we’ll reopen Bali on the 30th, and subsequently a number of other regions,” Luhut said during an online discussion streamed on the ministry’s official YouTube channel on Saturday.
The former army general said it would take about a year for the country’s tourist sector to fully recover from the multifaceted ramifications of the ongoing pandemic.
“In military terms, [the recovery] will be gradual and continuous,” he said. “We need to carefully evaluate every step so as to minimize errors.”
Read also: Bali to reopen to international tourists on Sept. 11
He added that he expected the gradual reopening of the sector to contribute to an increase in airline passengers and, therefore, bolster the aviation industry during this tumultuous period.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama previously proposed a full exemption from corporate income tax for all businesses in the tourism and creative economy sectors, as well as the provision of additional working capital loans.
Tourism businesses are currently eligible for a 30 percent discount on corporate income tax to cushion the economic impacts of the pandemic.
