Stretching the Tourism Sector in the City of Sungai Penuh

The tourism sector is one of the service-based sectors that has strategic potential to develop the economy of Sungai Penuh City.

Developments in the tourism sector will have an impact on the development of other economic sectors such as the provision of food and beverage accommodation, hotels, MSMEs in tourist areas, to transportation and tourist transportation.

The various positive impacts of an increase in the tourism sector will directly overcome some of the economic problems in Sungai Penuh City and significantly increase the income of Sungai Penuh City.

Kuswan Gunanto, Head of BPS for Sungai Penuh City, said that in 2019, the total number of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals in Sungai Penuh City reached 45,975 visits with the highest visit rate in June, which was 19,283 visits.

This figure has decreased drastically due to large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in all parts of Indonesia, so that by 2020 the total tourist arrivals in Sungai Penuh City will be below 8,000 visits for a year.

In 2021, the tourism sector will begin to increase again with a total of 10,693 visits by domestic and foreign tourists.

Currently, the tourism sector in Sungai Penuh City is still dominated by domestic tourists.

Along with good handling of the pandemic, it is predicted that in 2022 the tourism sector will continue to increase even though it has not fully recovered.

This condition is a positive signal indicating the existence of stretching from the tourism sector and several other supporting sectors.

In line with conditions in the Sungai Penuh tourism sector, other sectors that depend on tourism are also starting to show an increase.

Some of them are the tourist transportation category with an increase of 7.99 percent in 2021 and the category of providing food and beverage accommodation with an increase of 5.97 percent in 2021.

The role of the Sungai Penuh City government is very much needed in supporting the progress of the tourism sector and other economic sectors.

One thing that the tourism sector must be wary of is the increase in fuel prices which will automatically increase the transportation costs of travel and travel agencies.

(Jambi/BPS Data for Sungai Penuh City)