Govt fears riots may affect tourist arrivals
\nRiots may affect tourist arrivals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications
\nJoop Ave said that the current restlessness following last
\nweekend's riots might affect the occupancy rates in major hotels
\nin Jakarta and tourist arrivals in the country.<\/p>\n
\"One of the key factors for tourism is political stability. I
\nhave just learned that there have been room cancellations in this
\nhotel, which clearly were caused by the recent violence,\" Joop
\nsaid after a seminar at the five-star Grand Hyatt Hotel
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
But, the hotel's spokeswoman, Renata Sofjan, said that
\naccording to Hyatt's worldwide reservation system, the
\ncancellation figures are reasonable and not caused entirely by
\nthe riots.<\/p>\n
A number of office buildings and shopping centers in the
\ncity's major business districts were evacuated following a series
\nof bomb threats. The threats, which began on Monday, also
\noccurred yesterday at offices, shopping centers and government
\nbuildings and two hotels. Military officers have since been seen
\nguarding buildings in the business districts.<\/p>\n
Several star-rated hotel executives told The Jakarta Post that
\nthey had not been hit hard by cancellations.<\/p>\n
Executives from the Regent Jakarta, Hotel Indonesia, Jakarta
\nHilton International and Equatorial Jakarta said that it was
\nbusiness as usual.<\/p>\n
A manager of the Mandarin Hotel in Central Jakarta, however,
\nsaid that his hotel had received dozens of cancellations.<\/p>\n
\"The guests, mostly from Singapore and Australia, said that
\nthey were afraid of visiting Jakarta at the moment.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, tour operators in the city said that there would
\nnot be an immediate impact on foreign tourists arrivals in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
A director of Golden Rama Tour, Praya Haditono, said that the
\nimpact would be known only next month.<\/p>\n
An executive at Smailing Tour, Eddy Djaja, said: \"I think the
\npeople overseas are now aware that everything is under control.\"<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals<\/p>\n
The number of foreign tourist arrivals is usually higher in
\nthe July-December period than in the first semester.<\/p>\n
Joop said that foreign tourist arrivals through the seven
\ninternational gateways in January-June increased by 20.9 percent
\nover the corresponding period last year to 1,988,184.<\/p>\n
There were 1,643,993 foreign tourists entering Indonesia in
\nthe January-June period in 1995 through Batam island, Entikong of
\nWest Kalimantan, Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta, the Ngurah
\nRai airport in Bali, the Polonia airport in Medan, North Sumatra,
\nthe Samratulangi airport in Manado, North Sulawesi and the Juanda
\nairport in Surabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
Visitor arrivals in June alone increased by 25.8 percent over
\nJune 1995 to 360,969, boosted by the Indonesia Air Show. The
\ngrowth rate in June, however, was a bit less than the 27.7
\npercent rise in May and much lower than the 33.6 percent increase
\nin March.<\/p>\n
Joop said that tourist arrivals throughout this year are
\nlikely to approach 5.2 million if the situation is stable during
\nthe current second semester and if the 20.9-percent growth in the
\nfirst semester can be retained.<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals last year grew by some 7 percent to reach 4.7
\nmillion, bringing in US$52 billion in foreign exchange. The
\ncountry expects to earn between $6.57 billion and $6.94 billion
\non 4.78 million to 5.05 million foreign tourists this year. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-fears-riots-may-affect-tourist-arrivals-1447893297",
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