House Commission VII Urges Tourism Ministry to Prioritise Community-Impact Programmes

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Chair of House Commission VII Chusnunia Chalim has urged the Ministry of Tourism to prioritise the development of substantive tourism programmes that directly engage with citizens. Chusnunia noted that the budget allocation for management support exceeds 50 per cent of the ministry’s total ceiling, while tourism programmes serving as the spearhead of public service account for only around 15 per cent. The implication is that many programmes will only be able to operate at a minimal level. “We understand the importance of operational spending, but we need an explanation as to whether this composition is ideal for a ministry oriented towards increasing tourist visits, strengthening destinations, empowering MSMEs, and creating jobs,” Chusnunia said during a hearing with the Ministry of Tourism at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta. The politician, familiarly known as Nunik, also criticised the disappearance of the Special Allocation Fund for tourism from the ministry’s presentation. “One important point in the presentation is that tourism is no longer a recipient of the Physical DAK for the 2027 fiscal year. This is a highly strategic issue, as regions will lose a financing instrument for developing tourism destinations,” she stated. Nunik further raised concerns about the state of tourism in Lampung, describing it as quite worrying because many destinations are still developing and require basic infrastructure support. “We in Commission VII will certainly push the Ministry of Tourism to negotiate with the Ministry of Finance to re-propose the Tourism DAK, at least for priority destinations and regions with high potential,” she said. She also urged the ministry not to merely chase the number of activities or events. Success in tourism must be measured by economic impact, such as increased community income, job absorption, MSME growth, tourism investment, and contribution to regional gross domestic product. “What we need to pursue is the impact, not just the number of events,” she concluded.