Foreign Tourist Visits in Batam Dropped, Ministry of Tourism Calls it Needs Image Restoration

Editor: Putri Larasati Anggiawan

TRIBUNBATAM.id, BATAM - Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Batam, visits by foreign tourists are in freefall.

In fact, a decrease in the number of foreign tourists occurs almost every month.

The latest data from Batam City Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the number of foreign tourist visits decreased again in June 2020.

There were only 1,785 visits or a decrease of 0.72 percent from the previous month.

When compared with June last year or before Covid-19 hit, the number of foreign tourists visiting decreased by 98.98 percent.

This condition also received attention from Deputy for Tourism Products and Organizing Events in Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) Republic of Indonesia, Rizki Handayani or familiarly called Kiki.

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According to her, Batam City Government must immediately restore its image so that the tourism sector in Batam is again trusted by foreign or domestic tourists.

"Image restoration can be done by communicating programs related to the implementation of health protocols in all tourist objects," said Kiki, after a tourism seminar at Palm Spring Batam, Saturday (12/9/2020).

In addition, Kiki also said that Batam City Government could make economic recovery efforts in the tourism sector by hooking up local tourists.

According to him, how to hook it up also requires several programs that are characteristic of Batam.

"What needs to be raised and makes the difference between Batam and other areas. For example, golf, also involve other tourism actors such as hotel managers and tour guides to work together," she added.

During Covid-19 pandemic, she continued, the spirit of mutual cooperation to restore the economic sector in the tourism sector was needed.

Given that Covid-19 pandemic itself is a situation that cannot be denied (forje majeure).

Kiki's statement was also agreed by Head of Riau Islands Province Tourism Office ( Kadispar), Buralimar.

According to him, the decline in foreign tourist visits still occurred during August to early September 2020.

"It has slowly fallen again to 78 percent since Covid-19 exploded again. Yesterday it was only 64 percent," said Buralimar to Tribun Batam, Tuesday (9/15/2020).

This condition is exacerbated by the absence of access to exit for Singaporean and Malaysian citizens by the governments of the two countries.

Even so, Buralimar tends to be optimistic when talking about the potential for domestic tourists or local tourism visits to Riau Islands, especially Batam.

Especially if you look at trends, visits from domestic and foreign tourists have been quite good since some time ago.

(tribunbatam.id/ichwannurfadillah)

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