Indonesia appoints new tourism minister
Indonesia appointed a new minister of tourism, who has pledged a more creative approach to boost tourist arrivals.
Wishnutama Kusubandio takes over from Arief Yahya, as President Jokowi’s new cabinet was unveiled.
The creative economy, previously a separate ministerial portfolio, is again under the direction of the tourism ministry.
Wishnutama will align tourism with the creative economy.
"Aside from promotion and infrastructure, more creative abilities are needed to manage tourist attractions," Wishnutama said.
That will include prioritising quality over quantity.
"We have a lot of Calendar of Events, and in the future, we will pick and choose, focus on a handful of them that have the most potential to attract tourists," he said.
"President Jokowi often asked me what is in our DNA, and I said it is the creative economy, namely tourism and the creative industry."
Although growth stalled last year due to a succession of natural disasters, tourism revenues are expected to rise to $20 billion this year.
Wishnutama is the founder of NET TV and was the creative director for both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Asian Games.
Indonesia’s media and PR handling of various tourism issues and natural disaster impacts could be improved and Wishnutama’s expertise in this field could come in handy.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports