Indonesia wants to promote tourism with Singapore from A-list stars

After Taylor Swift's tour, Indonesia's Investment Minister admitted that he was "not as smart" as Singapore and wanted to cooperate to have similar shows.

Taylor Swift's six-night Eras Tour in early March is estimated to have added $225 million to Singapore's GDP in the first quarter. Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said concertgoers spent five times more than regular tourists. "The Taylor Swift event has brought significant growth to the Singapore economy ," said Sandiaga Uno.

"We, Indonesia, were not smart. We should have made an agreement first," Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said of the exclusive event hosting the concert between Singapore and Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift performs on The Eras Tour in 2024. Photo: AFP — Taylor Swift performs on The Eras Tour in 2024. Photo: *AFP*

The ambition to stimulate Indonesia’s tourism industry was quickly implemented when Minister Sandiaga Uno visited Singapore right after the American singer’s 6 concerts. He held talks with Singapore’s Minister of Sustainability & Environment Grace Fu to explore the possibility of cooperation and organizing entertainment events with the participation of A-list stars.

Sandiaga Uno said the Indonesian government plans to set up a $128 million tourism fund to support local organizers to stage concerts similar to the Taylor Swift event in Singapore.

“We have a strategy to provide special incentives to promoters and event organizers who will bring more international events to Indonesia,” Sandiaga said. The policy is expected to be implemented this year and promises to “minimize bureaucracy, overhaul the licensing system to make the process more transparent.”

Mr. Sandiaga believes that the digitalization of performance and concert permits will facilitate celebrities who want to hold events in Indonesia. "They will spend less money to apply for concert permits and will not face any difficulties," the minister added.

Taylor Swift's six-night concert deal with Singapore has sparked discontent among countries in the region. Many have criticized Singapore for "playing dirty" by making the exclusive deal. However, Indonesian Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said it was "a fair and competitive business practice." Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it was a "very successful deal."

Anh Minh (According to SCMP )

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