As one of the working groups under Indonesia's Presidency at the 2022 G20 Summit, the 1st TWG 2022 served as a space to exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices for G20 member countries, guest countries, and international organizations.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno stated that tourism is the third-largest export sector in the global economy. Many countries, especially developing nations, rely on tourism as it accounts for 20% of their GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
"Global economic recovery is inseparable from the recovery of the tourism sector. And of course, aside from its obvious economic benefits, tourism serves as a platform to connect and bridge communities, creating friendships and connections that make our lives better," explained Minister Sandiaga Uno.
The Minister pointed out that globally, the number of tourists in 2020 decreased by one billion visitors (74%) compared to the previous year. On the national level, the pandemic also caused a significant drop in international tourist arrivals by 75%, and domestic tourism decreased by around 30%.
As a result, the livelihoods of 34 million Indonesians working in the tourism and creative economy sectors were impacted.
"Therefore, this tourism meeting will discuss recovery solutions, with 80% of the world economy recovering through the participation of G20 countries in developing joint agreements for global tourism recovery," said the Minister.
"We can meet future challenges by, first, taking a multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable tourism development. Second, strengthening the role of the tourism community as agents of change. Lastly, designing ways to ensure the safe movement of tourists even during the pandemic," he continued.
To achieve this, the formulation of the G20 Bali Guideline, which will be one of the outcome documents of the Tourism Working Group (TWG), will involve G20 countries. The guideline will be drafted through a survey sent by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to the countries.
In completing the survey, each G20 country is asked to provide best practices from five lines of action that form the basis of the draft guideline. The varying solutions and policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic from these countries will guide the drafting process.
These five lines of action are:
Human Capital: related to employment, skills, entrepreneurship, and education. This encompasses how the tourism workforce can meet market needs and desires, create new jobs, and add value to their products or services.
Innovation, Digitalization, and Creative Economy: These three aspects will help communities be more prepared to enter the digital economy ecosystem and reach a wider market.
Empowerment of Women and Youth: The Minister highlighted that women and young workers in tourism were among the most affected by the pandemic. Therefore, they need proper support.
"We need to find ways to empower women and young workers in tourism, fight gender discrimination, and encourage more entrepreneurship among women and youth in tourism," said the Minister.
Climate Action, Biodiversity Conservation, and Circular Economy: reducing carbon emissions in energy, land, water, and food resources within the tourism sector.
Policy Framework, Governance, and Investment: This should focus on creating more holistic tourism policies and measures to support the four pillars of action.
"In this regard, we need to discuss how to enhance stakeholder coordination between ministries and relevant institutions to strengthen synergies between public and private actors to support more sustainable tourism investments," said the Minister.
The Minister hopes that this tourism working group meeting will result in strategic policies for global tourism, namely the "Bali Guidelines on Strengthening Communities and MSMEs as Tourism Transformation Agents – a People-Centered Recovery."
Chair of the Tourism Working Group, Frans Teguh, stated that the data shared by Minister Sandiaga Uno shows the recovery of tourism from its lowest point. "It is our duty to maintain this momentum toward a more sustainable tourism recovery," said Frans.
The number of tourists at the beginning of 2022 was still 67% lower than in 2019. However, this number is predicted to continue increasing as the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly under control with the advent of vaccination and the continuous application of health protocols. All pandemic management plans are being implemented gradually for more optimal results.
"Therefore, over these two days, we will discuss plans to accelerate tourism recovery and how to bring about more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism through the Bali Guidelines," said Frans.
The opening of the 1st TWG was followed by speeches from other officials, including Chief of Market Intelligence and Competitiveness of UNWTO Sandra Carvao; Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Communication WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) Virginia Messina; Director of the Sectoral Policies Department ILO (International Labour Organization) Alette van Leur; and Head of Tourism Unit OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Jane Stacey.
The second TWG meeting is planned to be held offline in Bali on September 23, 2022, with the highlight event, the "Tourism Ministerial Meeting" (TMM), set to take place offline in Bali on September 26, 2022.
