Speaking during a working visit to Batam City on Monday (1/1/24,) Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno, said that the domestic food industry is growing rapidly, leading to economic growth and increased employment opportunities, according to reporting from Tempo.
During his visit, the minister checked out the culinary bazaar at I Hotel Nagoya and inaugurated Arch Alley Resto Batam, where he said “the government really appreciates this culinary bazaar in Batam, because culinary tourism is the reason for 63-percent of tourist visits to Indonesia.”
“We collect data using big data analytics and AI that 63-percent [of Indonesian tourism] is driven by culinary tourism,” he said, adding that culinary is an established force, particularly in the city, says Tempo.
Sandiaga pledged to continue providing empowerment training to culinary business players across the archipelago and asked provincial and city governments to continuously open access to capital for them, say Tempo, adding that he highlighted the food industry as a leading sector in the future. In 2023 alone, total transactions and investments in the industry reached IDR 210-trillion. “The food industry is already among the top five industries,” the minister said.
Tempo report that according to data from Batam City, the food industry grew by 97-percent, with turnover reaching IDR 600-billion per year. “This is the right momentum, we hope to use the spirit of 3G: move fast, move together, and move forward, working on all potentials to create jobs,” Sandiaga said, adding that the government expects to create 4.4-million jobs in the food industry this year through training and empowerment.
Source: Tempo
Stock image by Farhad Ibrahimzade on Unsplash
