Hosting the 2023 ASEAN Summit: What are the Trends in International Tourist Visits to NTT Over the Last Decade?

Indonesia will host the 2023 ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, in May 2023. This means the province has the potential to become a popular tourist destination for international tourists this year.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), foreign tourist visits to NTT plummeted since the pandemic.

Over the past 10 years, the trend of international tourist visits to NTT had been increasing, reaching its peak in 2019 at 155,900 people.

However, this growth trend immediately declined when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. In the first year of the pandemic, the number of international tourist visits to NTT dropped to 44,700 throughout 2020.

Then, in the second year of the pandemic, the number of international tourist visits to NTT fell by another 80.44% to 8,740 throughout 2021, reaching its lowest level in the last decade.

On the other hand, the government has implemented various policies to boost NTT's tourism industry, which has been struggling for the past two years. A recent example is the G20 side meeting last year.

The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is currently completing the improvement and construction of a new road from Labuan Bajo to Tanamori in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

The Rp 481 billion project is being undertaken to support connectivity for the upcoming 2023 ASEAN Summit venue. "The construction budget comes from the State Budget (APBN) amounting to Rp 481 billion, with current physical progress reaching 97.26%," said Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, as quoted from Katadata.co.id, Monday (30/1/2023).

Furthermore, the Ministry of PUPR is also building the Anak Munting Embung between Labuan Bajo and Tanamori in Warloka Village, Komodo District. According to Basuki, Anak Munting Embung has a capacity of 159,481.10 m3 and a water surface area of 4.5 hectares, with the main function of conservation and supporting tourism in the Super Priority Tourism Destination (DPSP) Labuan Bajo.

The Ministry of PUPR has also completed the Waterfront Marina area, inaugurated by President Jokowi in July 2022, and Puncak Waringin, inaugurated in October 2021. "Both areas are also planned to be used as venues for a series of ASEAN Summit events in Labuan Bajo," said Basuki.

At the upcoming 2023 ASEAN Summit, several priority issues will be discussed, ranging from food security, financial stability, energy security, and health.