BATAM, Aug 5 (Bernama-Antara) -- Indonesia is and will always be paying special attention to tourism safety of both domestic and foreign travellers, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno affirmed.
Uno made the statement in Batam, Riau Islands, on Sunday (Aug 4) in response to the death of a female Chinese tourist, identified as Qin Fangting, at a local hotel on Saturday.
The local police informed that the victim fell off the sixth floor.
"We regret the accident involving the Chinese national. This is very serious. The government has immediately dispatched a team to inspect the safety aspect. We are prioritising this aspect not only in Batam but also in all regions of Indonesia," he remarked.
The minister then underscored the need for all relevant stakeholders to take mitigation steps by building a sound level of communication to prevent the recurrence of the tragedy.
Uno underlined that anticipatory measures are essential to establishing Indonesia as a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable tourism destination for international travellers, including those from China, reported ANTARA.
The minister then highlighted the government's commitment to boosting the number of domestic and foreign travellers visiting Indonesia's tourism destinations.
He revealed that in the first half of 2024, the foreign tourist count had crossed six million, or 21 per cent higher than that recorded in the same period last year.
Uno then noted that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of Indonesia's creative economy sector has continued to grow, with its contribution to the national gross domestic product reaching eight per cent.
The minister remarked that the positive trend in the creative economy sector is also marked by its potential to create around 25 million new job opportunities.
"Creative economy has been the sector with the most rapid growth after COVID-19," he noted.
Uno highlighted that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy had taken various strategic steps to ensure the sustainability of the growth, including providing entrepreneurs with training courses in addition to an opportunity to display their products at exhibitions.
"We are also offering marketing and capital assistance," he stated.
-- BERNAMA-ANTARA
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