International flight routes cannot be opened this year. Coordinating Minister of the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated this on Tuesday (2/3).
Airlangga Hartarto said Indonesia was still unable to open international flight routes to increase the number of foreign tourists this year. “Indonesia cannot open up with the international community. Now there are travel bubbles which are based on bilateral agreements,” he explained.
Airlangga said that the opening of international routes is currently limited. They are available only for people with specific purposes or essential travel needs.
Meanwhile, to encourage the tourism sector, the government relies on domestic tourists while adhering to health protocols so that the spread of COVID-19 can be controlled. Therefore, Airlangga said the government was preparing a policy package for the tourism sector in line with a vaccination program to achieve herd immunity.
“We hope the vaccination program can reach herd immunity in the middle of the year with 70 million people being vaccinated. It will also be a game-changer in the tourism sector, “he said.
He said that currently, the government is also preparing a policy to further support hotels, restaurants, and cafes. “We’re working on it. We will make solutions so that operationalization in that sector is not too complicated. The government is currently reviewing it,” he stated.
