Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno has been promoting sports tourism, having identified the high earning power and attractiveness of this market to international travellers. Speaking after a recent event held in Belitung, the minister outlined his plans to harness this potential and deliver huge financial benefits to the Indonesian economy in the months ahead.
The minister was attending a golf competition held on Friday, 27 May, called ‘Let’s Go Belitung Golf 2022’. This was followed by a triathlon race event that drew around 200 participants and many more spectators from various international countries.
In a written statement after the competition, Sandiaga calculated that this one example alone was worth an estimated US$1.5 million, based on each tourist spending around US$1,500. The minister then went on to suggest that this model could be replicated in various locations, such as Bali, nationwide.
“Lombok, Bintan and Batam, which already have sport events, will be developed as sustainable destinations,” said the minister. “This is also part of an effort to provide a unique experience in Indonesia, as well as promote beyond Bali,” he continued.
The minister went on to state that, with the right investment in infrastructure and promotion, sports tourism could attract upwards of 1 million tourists each year, while also generating around IDR18 trillion (US$ 1.2 billion) in revenue.
Indonesia’s reputation for sporting events is steadily growing in stature on the world stage. In addition to being an attractive golf destination, the nation has also recently hosted a number of high-profile international sporting events, such as the Asian Games and the Moto GP.
With sports tourism firmly on the government agenda for 2022 and beyond, Indonesia can look forward to a range of new events and promotions for international sports fans, athletes and travellers in the coming months. In the short term, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is expected to focus its marketing and promotions on markets such as Australia, Singapore, France, the UK and the US.
“These five countries are the biggest contributors of foreign tourists to Indonesia,” explained Sandiaga in a recent statement, in which he outlined his plans. “Wonderful Indonesia promotions will be intensified there, starting from participating in tradeshows, sales missions, networking dinners, to holding events that showcase Indonesia’s tourism potential and creative economy,” he added.
