Indonesia’s G20 presidency will soon conclude with the 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit on November 15 and 16 but the country has leveraged the nationwide event to the best of its abilities, ensuring that the country’s business events sector is recovering well.

Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy, told TTGmice in an interview: “The domestic market movement is now at 650 million, way above the yearly target of 150 million. Some of this movement is related to MICE, (thanks to the) 300 or so G20 side events. There are also thousands of G20-related activities around the nation, so hosting G20 is extremely critical.”

G20 has helped to shine the spotlight on less-touristy Indonesian destinations like Belitung for example, which hosted the Development Ministerial Meeting from September 7 to 9.

When asked what the ministry is focusing on now, Sandiaga said five locations that have been designated as “priority destinations” – Borobudur, Likupang, Mandalika, Danau Toba, and Labuan Bajo – will be heavily marketed as options for corporate groups and business events.

He elaborated: “We used to rely on Batam and Bintan a lot, but we want to go beyond that. We will also be hosting events such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Yogyakarta next February, and it would be a great opportunity to showcase (more destinations).”

Another focus of the ministry is the creation of more tourism villages, similar to Penglipuran Village in Bali Regency, named as one of the Cleanest Villages in the World by Green Destinations Foundation. These villages not only help to create jobs for locals, but it also provides community-based tourism as well as CSR opportunities for corporates.

“We have 4,000 tourism villages in our database, and are looking to increase it to 7,500 by the end of 2024. We are also looking to create 1.1 million new and better-quality jobs in tourism and creative economy, and tourism villages is one of the (engines to drive that). It also helps Indonesia to hit United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”

As to how the ministry is helping to alleviate the high costs of travelling right now – in terms of inflated airfares and ferry tickets – Sandiaga posited: “The tourism industry was hit the hardest, and is now dealing with inflation, and high food and energy prices.

“We are working with the industry to create a package where travel costs will be compensated with better experiences, better destinations, and better activities. When bundled, the increase in pricing (will not be too much).”

Belitung Island, one of Indonesia’s “Ten New Travel Destinations”, hosted the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting from September 7-9, 2022.

In a historic occasion for the 4,800km² island of just 300,000 people, 20 countries and 20 global organisations came together in a small village environment, named Kampong Kecit. The village stands in one of Indonesia’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Tanjung Kelayang Reserve, which has been identified as a model for sustainable development by the Indonesian government.

Tanjung Kelayang Reserve comprises 360 hectares of pristine land and eight outlying islands, where 200 hectares have been designated as a private natural reserve and wildlife sanctuary.

In 2021, the island of Belitung was also officially designated a UNESCO Global Geopark on account of its rich geological diversity. The island features ancient rock formations, pristine white beaches and outlying islands, clear turquoise waters and preserved forests which are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including several species that are only found here.