Rp 3.3 Trillion Allocated for Hotels and Restaurants

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

A number of gandrung dancers entertain guests at the Banyuwangi International Yacht Club in the Marina Boom Banyuwangi Beach Area, East Java, Friday (25/9/2020). Banyuwangi International Yacht Club is a new facility and tourist destination that is expected to increase tourist visits, especially upper middle class foreign tourists.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Foreign tourist arrivals, which have plunged sharply in recent months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are predicted to take a long time to recover. The government plans to provide financial stimulus in the form of a grant in October to December, this year to help the country’s hotel and restaurant industry survive through the difficult situation.

The director of industrial management at the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, Henky Manurung, said in Jakarta on Thursday (1/10/2020), that the ministry was ready to roll out grants worth Rp 3.3 trillion (US$227.58) as part of the National Economic Recovery program.

The Directorate General of Fiscal Balance of the Finance Ministry is still preparing the disbursement of the grants. According to the plan, the grants will be distributed to hotels and restaurants in 85 regencies/cities through the local governments.

Also read: Beware of New Covid-19 Clusters at Tourist Attractions

With the grants, hotel and restaurant owners are expected to be able to properly implement clean, health, security and environmentally friendly (CHSE) protocols.

"[The grants] are an initiative for them to be resilient and implement proper health protocols so as to give confidence to the public that the hotel and restaurant industry is ready to serve," said Henky.

The ministry is also preparing a free CHSE certification program for tourism in the regions. The CHSE certification is implemented to ensure tourists feel safe when visiting tourist sites. The ministry has set aside about Rp 97.76 billion to finance the certification program.

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KOMPAS/PANDU WIYOGA

A number of foreign tourists take part in the celebration of Indonesia\'s 75th Anniversary at Batam View Resort, Nongsa, Batam, Riau Islands, Monday (17/8/2020).

Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the number of foreign tourists grew 4.45 percent to 165,000 people in August from 159,800 people in July 2020. However, the number fell 89.22 percent compared to the figure recorded in the same month last year. Timor Leste accounted for the largest number of the foreign tourists during the month (54 percent), followed by Malaysia (35 percent) and China (2.2 percent).

Cumulatively, the number of foreign tourists reached a total of 3.4 million during January-August 2020, a 68.17 percent decline from 10.7 million people in the same period, last year.

Also read: North Toraja Starts to Reopen Tourist Destinations

The head of BPS, Suhariyanto, said that the foreign travellers mostly visited Indonesia for business, not for leisure.

The sluggish growth in foreign tourist arrivals, especially during April-August 2020, indicates that it will take a long time for the foreign tourist arrivals to recover and it needs a breakthrough to lure more foreign tourists to the country.. "The key is the handling of health in all countries. Without proper health management, more people will be hesitant to travel, ”he said.

Also read: ”Virtual Tour”, A Travel Solution During the Pandemic

Meanwhile, the improvement of strategic tourist destinations such as Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, continues. The improvement of the tourist facilities in Labuan Bajo includes the construction of the Batu Cermin area, Puncak Waringin, Kampung Ujung and Marina, and Rinca Island. Labuan Bajo is expected to host the meeting of the leaders of the G-20 countries and the ASEAN Summit in 2023. On Thursday, President Joko Widodo monitored the construction of the tourist facilities in Labuan Bajo which cost about Rp 1.3 trillion.

"The first phase of the construction project will be completed by the end of 2020, while the second phase will be completed by the end of next year," he said.