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.
