The government said it was preparing a number of incentive offers for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is so that the UAE's investment plan in Indonesia for the halal tourism sector can be realized soon.

Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the Gulf state plans to build a halal tourist area in Pulau Banyak, Aceh. "We are now working out the details for some of the incentives and permits they requested. God willing, in November we will go to the UAE if possible," Bahil told a news conference on Monday( 23/8).

In March, the Governments of Indonesia and the UAE signed investment cooperation, one of which was for a halal tourism area infrastructure project worth 500 million US dollars. Bahlil said it continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) so that the investment plan is realized immediately.

So far, the Ministry of Investment has not recorded specifically the realization of foreign investment for the tourism sector. However, specifically the ministry lists foreign investment in hotels and restaurants that are part of the tourism sector in Indonesia. During the first half of 2021, the realization of foreign investment (PMA) for hotels and restaurants reached 187.8 million US dollars from a total project plan of 2.2 billion US dollars.

Deputy for Investment Cooperation of the Ministry of Investment Riyatno said, one of the strategies carried out by the government is to attract foreign investment that is destroyed. He said, investments that are mangkrak usually already have a permit, but there are other obstacles so it needs assistance.

He said, there is currently around Rp 708 trillion in the total value of foreign investment that should be realized. Therefore, to support the realization, the Ministry of Investment together with the Ministry of Tourism signed cooperation in the field of investment in the parekraf sector.

Minister of Tourism Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said, the total investment for halal tourism areas in Pulau Banyak is indicated to be up to 700 US dollars or around Rp 10 trillion. "The investment will be used for the construction of lodging, tourism facilities, and development that support the tourism ecosystem, especially in Aceh. Including airports and supporting infrastructure," he said.

In addition to Aceh, Sandiaga said, there are a number of other provinces that volunteered to be able to obtain foreign investment. These areas include West Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, Riau, and Kalimantan.

In addition to boosting halal tourism, Kemenparekraf is also targeting the development of ecotourism. Community concern, especially the younger generation, began to lead to ecotourism trends that prioritize environmental sustainability. This is one of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic that gives awareness to the importance of environmental sustainability.

Deputy for Tourism Products and Implementation of Kemenparekraf Activities Rizky Handayani said, the government needs to collaborate with the private sector in finding a new form for the development of ecotourism products.

"The development of ecotourism in the future is in fact oriented to the values of environmental and cultural preservation, empowerment of local communities, and providing profit or long-term oriented value," rizky said.

He said the government and private sector need to continue to work together in developing quality ecotourism products with attention to the four main dimensions. Among them, namely the natural base, conservation support, sustainability, and environmental education.

"Ecotourism requires government and private cooperation to anticipate environmental damage before it is too late," he said.

Rizky also asserted, tourism development that does not pay attention to the environment will backfire on the tourist travel industry today and in the future.

One of the steps of the Ministry of Tourism in supporting the ecotourism trend, namely through the Bersama Generasi Kini (Berani) program in collaboration with Plataran Indonesia. The cooperation, one of which is aimed at giving birth to positive content for the inspiring younger generation in their field.

"The purpose of the Berani program is one of them to show that the young generation of Indonesia is a great and progressive generation and proves that the younger generation has been actively collaborating in working in their fields," he said.