Indonesian’s Ministry of Villages Cooperates with Startups to Develop Tourism Villages

The General Director of Least Developed Regions, Samsul Widodo, said that the government cooperated with various startups in encouraging the development of tourism villages. The marketing and promotion of the tourism villages are currently carried by startups engaged in the tour operator sector.

“So, they (tourism villages) sell the packages and so on. Then, we collaborate with startups for the e-ticketing. We are trying to implement an e-ticketing system for tourism villages that are ready to open,” he said in Jakarta on Monday (9/30).

Some of these efforts were made to facilitate digital promotion that targets millennials. This is because millennials are now more interested in promotions that are displayed digitally through social media and internet sites. Moreover, the management of visitors is becoming easier as well.

“That way, we will have data on who the visitors are, when, and at what time. It is easier than recording everything manually,” he added. Samsul also explained that currently, about 10 startups are working together with the Ministry of Village, Development of the Least Developed Regions, and Transmigration.

Startups Focus on Marketing and Providing E-ticketing Systems

In the effort to develop tourist villages, some of these startups focus on marketing, mentoring, and providing e-ticketing systems. “So, we ask them to sell the village tour packages. Then, we also ask some inputs from them about how to develop tourism villages,” Samsul explained.

He said that startups know exactly how the segment is like. “We have met several times and now we have a new project,” he added. Previously, the Ministry of Villages had conducted a business matching with the Selangor State of Government related to electronic commerce (e-commerce).

Samsul said that the Indonesian government is very supportive when it comes to the development of startup businesses in the country. It can be seen from the data released by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education. From the data, Indonesia currently has 1,307 startups.

“Since 2017, we have been working with more than 60 startups in the fields of education, health, agriculture, investment, skills, and tourism to implement the digital economy in the least developed areas,” Samsul explained. He also said that the government continues to support the development of startups in Indonesia.

Indonesian Government Continues to Support the Development of Startups

“We are trying to create an ecosystem that allows digital businesses to grow. Moreover, SMEs, farmers, and fishermen are now capable to sell their products online. This is because they have been educated about the use of the digital economy,” Samsul said.

Samsul also thanked for the visit of Selangor State of Government. He hoped the meeting could produce beneficial cooperation for both parties, especially in increasing electronic trade between the two countries. Meanwhile, the Advisor for Chief Minister of Selangor, Zulkifli Zakaria, appreciated the rapid growth of e-commerce in Indonesia.

The Malaysian government will also emulate Indonesia in developing regional products. “The development of e-commerce in Indonesia is exceptional. Currently, we are also encouraging SMEs in Malaysia to enter the digital realm,” Zulkifli said. The meeting was also attended by the ministry partners like Shopee Indonesia, Timur Rasa, and more.