Setelah dua dekade, ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) kembali ke Yogyakarta. Semangatnya masih sama, yaitu menjadikan kawasan ASEAN sebagai single tourist destination.
Pariwisata punya peran penting terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi di kawasan Asia Tenggara. Berdasarkan data Statista.com, sebelum pandemi (2019) kontribusinya terhadap GDP mencapai US$393,12 miliar. Angka itu didapat dari pengeluaran 143 juta turis yang bertandang ke Asia Tenggara.
Pergerakan turis antarnegara di kawasan Asia Tenggara (ASEAN) juga terbilang akbar. Jumlahnya mencapai 51 juta turis pada 2019 dengan total pengeluaran mencapai US$145 miliar. Jadi boleh dibilang, pariwisata di kawasan ini hampir separuhnya ditopang oleh pergerakan turis antarnegara ASEAN.
Itulah kenapa perhelatan ATF yang berlangsung pada 2-5 Februari 2023 di Yogyakarta itu menjadi penting bagi Indonesia dan negara ASEAN lainnya. Kegiatan yang ditengarai diikuti oleh 350 exhibitor, 150 buyer, dan 190 delegasi itu bakal menjadi ajang kolaborasi dan promosi pariwisata ASEAN.
“Kesuksesan ATF ini menjadi kunci pengembangan pariwisata di negara ASEAN kedepan. Dan menjadi momentum strategis bagi untuk dapat menarik lebih banyak wisatawan mancanegara sehingga target 7,4 juta kunjungan pada 2023 bisa kita capai,†kata Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.
Negara ASEAN lainnya juga mengharapkan hal serupa. Menjadikan ATF sebagai ajang untuk mengundang lebih banyak turis ke negaranya, terutama turis dari negara-negara ASEAN.
Komitmen bersama di antara negara ASEAN untuk memajukan pariwisata di kawasan As un ia Tenggara ini lahir bersamaan dengan ATF perdana yang diselenggarakan pada 1981 lalu. Visi misinya tiada lain menjadikan kawasan ASEAN sebagai single tourist destination.
Tuan rumah penyelenggaraan ATF pun digelar secara bergantian diantara sepuluh anggota ASEAN. Indonesia telah beberapa menjadi tuan rumah, yaitu pada tahun 2002 (Yogyakarta), 2012 (Manado), dan 2023 (Yogyakarta).
Bagi Yogyakarta, perhelatan ATF juga menyimpan banyak cerita. Pada tahun 2002, ketika Yogyakarta menjadi tuan rumah, sebuah gedung pameran dan konvensi pertama dan terbesar di Yogyakarta pun berdiri, yang kini dikenal dengan nama Jogja Expo Center (JEC).
Gedung yang dibangun untuk menjamu para delegasi, buyer, dan exhibitor ATF 2002 itu diresmikan oleh Presiden Megawati Soekarnoputri. Pasca ATF, gedung berluas kurang 17.090 meter persegi sempat sepi karena minat untuk menyelenggarakan acara di Yogyakarta belum ramai.
Namun, perlahan tapi pasti, JEC kemudian menjadi arena bermain para organizer untuk pelbagai acara. Tapi itu tak berlangsung lama, seiring kondisi gedung yang mulai lapuk dimakan usia.
Setelah dua dekade, kembalinya ATF ke Yogyakarta dijadikan momentum untuk JEC berbenah. Sejumlah perbaikan dilakukan untuk menyambut para peserta ATF 2023. Dan semoga, seusai ATF terlaksana, JEC tetap ramai acara.
ENGLISH
ATF 2023: An Event to Lure Tourists to Visit
After two decades, the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) returned to Yogyakarta. It was held in the same spirit, which is to make the ASEAN region as a single tourist destination.
Tourism plays an important role in economic growth in the Southeast Asia region. Based on Statista.com data, before the pandemic (2019) its contribution to GDP reached US$393.12 billion. This figure was obtained from the spending of 143 million tourists visiting Southeast Asia.
The mobility of tourists between countries in the Southeast Asia (ASEAN) region is also fairly large. The number reached 51 million tourists in 2019 with a total expenditure of US$145 billion. So you could say, tourism in this region is almost half supported by tourist mobility between ASEAN countries.
That is why the ATF, which took place on February 2-5, 2023 in Yogyakarta, is important for Indonesia and other ASEAN countries. The event, which was expected to be attended by 350 exhibitors, 150 buyers, and 190 delegates, was a venue for collaboration and promotion of ASEAN tourism.
"The success of this ATF is the key to tourism development in ASEAN countries in the future. And it is a strategic momentum to attract more foreign tourists so that we can achieve the target of 7.4 million visits by 2023," said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.
Other ASEAN countries also expected the same thing, i.e. making ATF as an event to invite more tourists to their country, especially tourists from ASEAN countries.
This joint commitment among ASEAN countries to advance tourism in the Southeast Asian region was established in the first ATF held in 1981. The vision and mission is none other than to make the ASEAN region a single tourist destination.
The host of the ATF is held alternately among the ten ASEAN members. Indonesia has been the host for several years: in 2002 (Yogyakarta), 2012 (Manado), and 2023 (Yogyakarta).
For Yogyakarta, the ATF also holds many memories. In 2002, when Yogyakarta hosted the event, the first and largest exhibition and convention center in Yogyakarta was built, now known as Jogja Expo Center (JEC).
The building, which was built to welcome ATF 2002 delegates, buyers and exhibitors, was inaugurated by President Megawati Soekarnoputri. After the ATF, this building (with an area of less than 17,090 square meters) didn't see many visitors because interest in holding events in Yogyakarta was not yet high.
However, slowly but surely, the JEC became a playground for organizers of various events. But that didn't last long, as the building began to age.
After two decades, the ATF's return to Yogyakarta was a momentum for JEC to improve. A number of improvements were made to welcome the ATF 2023 participants. And hopefully, after the ATF, the JEC will still host many events.
