Dr. H. Sandiaga Uno, INDONESIA’S Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, emphasised the integration of smart city concepts with tourism at the World Cities Summit 2024 in Singapore
DR. H. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, highlighted the relationship between tourism and the smart city concept during his keynote speech at the World Cities Summit (WCT) 2024. The event took place on Tuesday, 4th June 2024, at the Singapore Convention Exhibition Centre.
Dr. H. Sandiaga explained that in Indonesia, the development of smart cities and smart tourism is interconnected. The application of technology in various aspects of tourism, such as hotels, restaurants, tour operators, tourist villages, and local communities, is a priority. This integration aims to provide digitally literate experiences and modern services for tourists while maintaining authenticity.
Dr. H. Sandiaga emphasised the importance of incorporating tourism spots into the future development of smart cities. He emphasised that cities could leverage the tourism sector and the creative economy to enhance the prosperity of their populations. He also pointed out that smart cities should foster creativity, evolving into creative cities.
Indonesia currently has five world-class creative cities that have been included in the UNESCO creative city network list. Namely Bandung, Jakarta, Pekalongan, Ambon, and Solo.
“Cities that will face various challenges in the future must be able to display the creativity of their people and all stakeholders. How do we prepare these cities to become creative cities,” said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Dr. H. Sandiaga.
The World Cities Summit, a biennial meeting, gathers government leaders and industry experts to discuss the challenges of creating livable, sustainable, and resilient cities. Dr. H. Sandiaga concluded that smart tourism is crucial for developing sustainable and competitive tourism destinations in the digital era. He called for strengthened collaboration among all stakeholders in the development of smart tourism and smart cities.
