Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno encouraged all tourism and creative economy stakeholders to join efforts to improve Jakarta's air quality, which has been deteriorating recently.

He stressed that the ministry has a vision of green tourism and sustainability. "The economic losses due to air pollution amounted to Rp21.5 trillion," Sandiaga said at the 78th Indonesian Independence Day ceremony at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, on Thursday, August 17, 2023, as quoted from a press release. "Therefore, the use of a carbon footprint calculator in the tourism sector from 2022 is already appropriate."

Sandiaga claimed that this is a concrete solution that will have impacts on the environment.

Apart from these issues, Sandiaga considered 2023 as a particular year for the tourism and economic sectors to maintain momentum, as Indonesia is trusted to be the host of various international events, including the ASEAN Summit and sports tourism agendas, such as the FIBA World Cup, MotoGP, and FIFA World Cup U-17.

The minister said it was crucial to make the most of these events to build global confidence. Ultimately, this could boost the number of foreign and domestic tourists, which could lead to a more robust economy.

"Let's build the Indonesian economy so that we can expand business and employment opportunities, have a spirit of collaboration, and work on all the potential to become one of the world's top five economies by 2045," Sandiaga Uno remarked.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1761125/sandiaga-uno-says-air-pollution-causes-rp21-5tn-in-economic-losse