Recognition, resilience, reformulation, and reactivation are four essential elements to respond to crises. Leaders must recognize the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) factors in every situation, build resilience towards the most urgent needs, reformulate solutions to revive the industry and reactivate new norms and measures to be implemented within society.

It was said by Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno in a virtual public lecture for MBA ITB Jakarta Campus. He discussed the importance of leadership and adaptability in crucial times. On Saturday (23/10/2021), Sandiaga presented his experiences in the past ten months regarding the tourism industry for Indonesia during the pandemic, including the problems and solutions.

Covid-19 had impacted the tourism industry and forced government members to adapt accordingly. He presented the effects of the pandemic to the audience, including a 75% decrease in international tourists and an 81% decrease in foreign exchange.

Next, he highlighted three components for successful revitalization of the tourism sector through a method called 3G: GercepGeber, and Gaspol. “Gercep is short for Gerak Cepat, meaning that leaders must have the ability to decide an adequate solution quickly rather than procrastinate for a perfect solution. Short for Gerak Bersama, Geber involves the importance of working together and adapting new circumstances . Lastly, Gaspol encourages leaders to work on all potential factors for success,” he said.

Furthermore, Sandiaga emphasized how crucial it is for leaders to understand and analyze big data to support their decision-making. Big data can provide publication strategies, such as collaborating messages with brands to increase brand equity.

Finally, Sandiaga closed the presentation by quoting the President on how innovative works are essential to the creative industry. He ended the lecture by answering some questions from the students.

Written by Student Reporter (Affan Agil, IB 2023)