Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the Indonesian tourism industry

Abstract

Tourism plays a significant role in the economic development of Indonesia. Aside from being a source of revenue, tourism creates employment opportunities and promotes the hospitality industry. However, the emergence of COVID-19 has adversely implicated on tourism in Indonesia, as international travel restrictions have been imposed by many countries. This paper dialectically analysed the impact of COVID-19 on the Indonesian tourism industry. It was observed that labour and the earnings in the tourism were severely affected by COVID-19. This was because the number of foreign tourists that visited Indonesia declined significantly as countries partially shut down their economy and imposed travel restrictions. The paper reviewed the government of Indonesia’s regulations and programmes and the tourism sector’s actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the country’s economy. It argued that government should introduce structures and guidelines for the introduction of smart tourism through non-contact, smart and personalised travel in Indonesia. Keywords [COVID-19, Indonesia, Tourism, Presidential Regulations, Travel restriction, Economic shutdown]