Ministry Synergy: Minister Erick Thohir Kicks Off Grand Design for Sports Industry Development
The Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sports, Erick Thohir, officially kicked off the preparation of the Grand Design for Sports Industry Development, alongside the launch of a book detailing the economic impact of MotoGP Mandalika, on Wednesday morning in Jakarta.
The kick-off was symbolically marked by the waving of a racing flag by Minister Thohir, alongside the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Pratikno; the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy; and the Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana.
Minister Thohir emphasised the necessity of synergy in developing the sports industry and sport tourism in Indonesia. This collaborative effort is currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in conjunction with relevant ministries and agencies.
In this regard, the Minister expressed his appreciation to the ministers supporting the development of the domestic sports industry. Regarding sport tourism, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has established cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, which serves as the lead sector for the tourism industry.
“As the Minister of Youth and Sports, and with Ms Widi as the Minister of Tourism, we are truly synergising regarding the development of sport tourism, without any hidden agendas. Our single mission is to support the President’s vision,” stated Minister Thohir following the event.
According to the Minister, this synergy is intended to support the vision of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, which targets an eight per cent economic growth rate. One of the potentials that must be explored to achieve this target is the sports industry.
“We are also exploring all the potential we can offer to this nation. This includes coordinating, implementing, and producing activities that provide an impact for sport tourism,” Thohir asserted.
Furthermore, the Minister commended the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy, for building an ecosystem to support the sports and sport tourism industries. This ecosystem is expected to eliminate the bureaucratic hurdles frequently encountered.
“To ensure the President’s vision can run, missions must be aligned and mutually supportive. I thank the Minister of PPN for his extraordinary support,” said Thohir.
He added that the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Pratikno, also emphasised that the development of this ecosystem must be continuously coordinated to ensure positive outcomes.
As an example, Minister Thohir cited the hosting of MotoGP in Indonesia, which has generated a tangible economic impact of nearly Rp5 trillion. This figure is targeted to increase, with a visitor target of 145,000 for this year.
“This is a positive development. As mentioned by the Coordinating Minister and the Minister of PPN, we must ensure that such events do not exist in isolation but instead encompass all local community activities, so the impact of these events is truly felt in the regions,” Thohir explained.
“Therefore, I would like to thank the Minister of PPN/Bappenas and the Coordinating Minister for their initiative and support for both the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Tourism,” concluded Thohir.
The kick-off event also featured a talk show titled ‘Direction for the Development of the Sports Industry and Sport Tourism Ecosystem’, featuring various competent speakers, including the Deputy for Sports Industry Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Teuku Arlan Perkasa Lukman.