The Charm of Karimunjawa Awaits Trials
Karimunjawa Island as the marine tourism magnet in Central Java has recorded nearly no cases of Covid-19 transmission. However, business actors have instead been affected by the lack of tourist arrivals.
Muklis, 48, the owner of Puri Karimun homestay on Karimunjawa Island, Jepara regency, Java, is feeling uneasy.
The deadline to pay bills for lodging operational costs, such as electricity, water and staff wages, is approaching. Yet there are no guests staying.
"I rely on official [government] guests, but the last time I received official guests was in August. I have even lowered the lodging rate by 35 percent," Muklis said on Saturday (4/9/2021).
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So far, Muklis has had to lay off four employees, including the cook. This was because the turnover of his homestay on Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, not far from the pier, fell by 95 percent. Some hotel and homestay owners have even put their properties up for sale.
“Other homestay owners and I are in tears. School tuition still has to be paid," he said. To stay afloat, Muklis has looked for additional income working in a hair salon.
The income of Hasim Asari, owner of Karimun Jawa Indah Homestay on Jl. Pemuda, has also fallen by more than 90 percent. He too now relies on visits from government officials or other agencies. They come only every two to three months.
In order to reduce operational costs, the homestay\'s lights are turned off if there are no guests. Some of the employees have been laid off, and Hasim manages the homestay by himself.
Mustakim, the owner of Lisaffa inn, has even been forced to borrow money just to buy electricity credit for the inn. “I have expressed my despair to the village, which is also bewildered about how to deal with this situation. Village funds have been diverted to mitigating Covid-19," he said.
The dim state of tourism on Karimunjawa has caused the crossing from Kartini Pier to Karimunjawa to become quiet. The head of the Sea Transportation Division of the Jepara Regency Transportation Office, Suroto, said the speed boats that used to operate four times a week have now been reduced to two. The crossing for logistics and construction materials, however, is still normal.
Positive side
In the midst of low tourist numbers, Hasim spends his time evaluating and improving services. He is confident that the time will come for people to enjoy traveling again, including to Karimunjawa.
Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed the number of tourists visiting Karimunjawa in 2019 reached 147,524, with 9,700 of them foreign tourists. The region has 15 hotels and 78 homestays, and the Karimunjawa islands cluster can be reached by boat from Kartini Pier in Jepara and by plane, which is still in the trial stage.
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Yet the lack of tourists visiting the island has made Karimunjawa, with a population of 11,063 in the Karimunjawa district, one of the safest areas for Covid-19 transmission in Central Java. As of Wednesday (15/9), there were 11 cases. Ten people had recovered and there had been one death.
At the same time, the number of cases in surrounding districts remains high. In Jepara, for example, there were 2,616 cases, including 148 deaths.
According to Suroto, the regency administration is keeping the transmission of Covid-19 from spreading to Karimunjawa. "To take the ferry services, residents of Jepara and Karimunjawa are not required to have rapid antigen tests, but residents from outside Jepara are required to," he said.
During a visit to the region of 27 islands, five of which are inhabited, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo expressed his appreciation of the situation there. "I see that the control of Covid-19 cases in Karimunjawa is good. Even in Parang village, there are currently zero cases. It\'s really cool," he said, Friday (10/9).
Ganjar later mentioned the trialing of limited tours in Karimunjawa using a package system, in line with efforts for the development of Dewandaru Airport.
The airport, which has been officially operating since 2018, has become an alternative route for tourists traveling to Karimunjawa. However, since the pandemic, the airport has not provided flight services.
This year, the Central Java provincial administration has cleared 1.6 hectares of land for the airport expansion. If the airport is ready, a limited trial to bring back tourism can be carried out. "Hopefully, if airline companies are invited to take part in the trial, tourists from Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya can come to Karimunjawa," said Ganjar.
However, all of this is still in the planning stage. The current situation remains overshadowed by the lack of tourists, the lifeblood of the chain of islands that boast clear waters, with diving and snorkeling as the main attraction.
Change of profession
To deal with this situation, a number of tourism actors have switched professions. Gunawan, 34, for example, has not taken tourists out on his tour boat since March 2020. In normal circumstances, he often took guests out with a boat rental rate of Rp 500,000. “In the end, I have simply become a fisherman again as there are no boat tours," he said.
Acting Karimunjawa district chief Muslikin admitted, “It is true that tourism is affected. However, for local businesspeople it is normal. It is the investors from outside who are affected by an even greater degree because of the fall.”
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According to the head of the Destinations Division of the Jepara Tourism Office, Nur Zuhruf, before June 2021, Karimunjawa National Park was still open with a limited capacity following health protocols. However, during the period of public activity restrictions (PPKM), it was completely closed.
In line with vaccination coverage and the discipline of residents and travelers to abide by health protocols, the "Jewel of the Java Sea" is awaiting the return of visitors.
This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.