The UI Vocational Tourism Study Program held a public lecture entitled “ASEAN Tourism Development During And Post Pandemic COVID-19: Opportunities and Challenges” on April 16, 2021. Roslan Othman, Minister Counselor for Tourism at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta was present as a speaker. It is intended to invite students with a global perspective (ASEAN) to view tourism in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic and to invite them to think that the opportunity for the revival of the tourism sector is in front of our eyes so that we can use it for the awakening of national tourism.
Tourism is currently a major sector that is of serious concern to the government because it has proven to have a major impact on national economic growth. Currently, tourism is the most effective sector to boost the economy and economic growth, both on a micro and macro scale. However, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on tourism both globally and locally. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been going on for more than 1 year, the tourism sector has begun to rise with various efforts and strategies, of course with strict CHSE standards.
Mr. Roslan Othman explained the various conditions, challenges, opportunities, obstacles to tourism development in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic and how ASEAN countries rose, starting post-Covid-19 redevelopment with very clear explanations. He gave many examples with the strategies of Malaysia and several ASEAN countries in managing tourism during a pandemic.
“The important thing to pay attention to the current strategy is how to reduce or hit the Covid-19 outbreak, just imagine first, if successful then tourism will increase by itself,” Roslan explained. He also explained that the Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) for tour operators and visitor protocols must be carried out strictly, because we currently live with Covid-19.
Furthermore, Roslan said that digital tourism has become a necessity in the tourism business. “Regarding the human skills of tourism industry players, it is emphasized that the current development must have multi skills, a guide, for example, must have the ability to manage digital technology and in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, many things have changed in tourism, for example the MICE business in hybrid, digital promotions are getting stronger, virtual travel, and even some hotels have ordered food from outside with a quality that is of course up to standard,” Roslan explained.
Roslan also emphasized that collaboration between countries in ASEAN is important. ASEAN can be a great destination. With digital tourism, everything will become easy. “For example, tourists can be offered various combination packages of combination packages from Indonesia and Malaysia (Bandung Kuala Lumpur Package, Kuala Lumpur Bali package), more direct flights between ASEAN countries, strengthened cooperation between ASEAN countries. There are so many tourism products in ASEAN, countries or travel agents will be inconvenienced if they sell their own products, because it is necessary and must be collaboration,” said Roslan.
At the end of the session, Roslan said that he saw that the tourism industry is now tough, but cooperation between countries can provide opportunities. “Someday ASEAN will become a tourist destination for the global community, not only for them to come to one country, but to all ASEAN countries. For this reason, cooperation at the government and industry levels, between travel agents, between hotels, must be built so that there is collective movement,” concluded Roslan.[:]
