The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno extended an invitation to healthcare businesses from China, particularly in traditional medicine, to invest in Indonesia. He made this offer during the "2024 First China-ASEAN International Forum on Traditional Medicine" held at the Intercontinental Bali Resort, Jimbaran, Badung, on Saturday (May 18, 2024). Sandiaga highlighted the investment potential, especially noting Tian Jin Hospital's proficiency in traditional treatment methods, where the hospital serves over a thousand patients daily.Sandiaga emphasized the advantage of this expertise, aiming to introduce it to the regional hub centered in Bali. The objective is to attract not only Indonesian tourists but also visitors from ASEAN countries, contributing to the burgeoning healthcare tourism sector. Indonesia itself ranks 12th globally in the potential of traditional medicine, recording a value of USD 5,011.9 billion in 2020. Sandiaga further highlighted the government's efforts in developing special economic zones for healthcare, such as the one in Kura-Kura Sanur, which aims to attract investments totaling USD 3 to 5 billion, offering various facilities, incentives, and ease of operations.
Sandiaga commended the successful organization of the "2024 First China-ASEAN International Forum on Traditional Medicine" in Bali, foreseeing its potential to expand health tourism and reinforce Indonesia's, especially Bali's, position as a world-class MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination. He extended an invitation for the next forum to be held in Bali as part of strengthening Indonesia's healthcare-based tourism, aiming to attract quality tourists from China, considering health tourism as a highly reliable sector. The event was attended by notable figures such as the Indonesian Ambassador to China, Djauhari Oratmangun, and representatives from various healthcare institutions from both China and ASEAN countries, along with officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and Poltekpar Bali.
