Ministry of Tourism Anticipates Impact of Middle East Conflict on Tourism

Semarang (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is preparing anticipatory measures against the impact of the Middle East conflict on foreign tourist visits. “Market shifting is being carried out; we are losing many tourists from the Middle East and Europe,” said Acting Deputy for Event Development at the Ministry of Tourism, Vinsensius Jemadu, in Semarang, Central Java, on Friday. He explained that visits from Middle Eastern and European tourists will experience a decline due to the crisis. According to him, this is caused by the suspension of flights by major airlines from the Middle East. As an anticipatory step, he continued, Kemenpar is shifting the target tourist markets to increase visits. He mentioned that the ministry is shifting markets by seizing opportunities from tourists in Asia and Australia. In addition, he said, Kemenpar will also promote domestic tourist visits through various tourism events from regencies and cities across Indonesia. He explained that Kemenpar is preparing around 125 curated tourism activities from approximately a thousand proposed events. “90 percent of the prepared events are cultural events, which are indeed the strength of our tourism,” he said. He emphasised that domestic tourists remain the backbone of Indonesian tourism. Thus, he continued, the potential lost due to the Middle East conflict will be covered.