As a result, during the opening of the 2023 International Tourism Investment Forum (ITIF) in Merusaka Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on Wednesday, Sandiaga invited investors to prioritize green investments as the main choice for sustainable tourism development in Indonesia.

“We believe that post-COVID-19 investments should be personalized, localized, bigger impact but smaller in size. Furthermore, these investments should focus on green investments, and this is the future of our economy,” said Sandiaga in his speech.

According to him, the same trend is also happening in tourism investment, shifting towards green tourism investments.

Green investment refers to investments that prioritize environmental sustainability and will continue to be a prominent trend in the future.

Additionally, based on the data he obtained, in 2022, Indonesia received USD 225.28 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the tourism sector and USD 577.87 billion in Domestic Direct Investment. In the first quarter of 2023, Indonesia received investments worth USD 803.15 billion.

Sandiaga hopes that ITIF will become a platform for sharing experiences and ideas between investors and relevant stakeholders in the development of sustainable tourism in Indonesia, especially considering Indonesia’s advantages in natural and cultural wealth.

Therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) developed the CHSE protocol (cleanliness, health, safety, and environmental sustainability) to increase the trust of tourists and investors in the development of environmentally sustainable tourism.

“We must think out of the box in developing the existing potential of tourism because tourism is not a problem but a part of the solution (to the economy) after the pandemic,” he added.

In addition to opening ITIF 2023, Minister Sandiaga also witnessed the signing of a letter of intent (LoI) between Nimo Enterprise and Mitra Jaya Realty with the Lake Toba Authority Agency (BPODT).

During the event, Minister Sandiaga was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Angela Tanoesoedibjo, Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, as well as several officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Vice Governor of Bali Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati and Head of the Bali Tourism Office Tjok Bagus Pemayun were also present.