Batam may face tourist-industry crisis
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau
The number of tourists visiting the island of Batam is predicted to drop off during the next 10 years if attractions are not developed and local culture promoted, an industry group says.
From 2000 to 2003, Batam recorded significant increases in tourist arrivals. In 2000, about one million foreign tourists visited Batam. The number increased to 1.2 million a year later and rose to about 1.5 million in 2003. The annual arrivals of domestic tourists stand at about 7 million people on average.
The numbers come second after Bali in term of foreign and domestic tourist arrivals.
The Batam chapter of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) predicted the drop in tourist arrivals.
Anas, a PHRI member who owns Hotel Novotel in Batam, said the main reason for a possible slowdown in Batam's tourism industry was the lack of developed natural resources managed professionally to attract visitors and the absence of traditional cultural attractions.
"(Tourists) will soon get fed up with the island's ordinary scenery. After 2007, I'm certain the number of foreign and domestic tourists will begin to drop off," he said.
Batam was unlike the popular resort island of Bali, which offered a myriad of attractions and a rich culture, he said.
"Those coming here (Batam) are usually tourists from neighboring Singapore, and from my conversations with them, they only want to see the island, which is naturally beautiful, not skyscrapers. They usually stay a relatively short period of time and don't spend much money," Anas said.
Stagnant hotel occupancy rates were an indication tourist arrivals in Batam were starting to drop, he said. In the past three years, occupancy rates of the 250-room Hotel Novotel had decreased 20 percent in the past three years, from between 60 percent and 70 percent occupancy to only 50 percent.
Taxi passengers have also decreased. Wan Samsir, a cab driver at the Sekupang International Airport, said since 2002 the 300 taxi drivers waiting at the airport would only carry one or two passengers in a week.
"With this queuing system, we are notified when it's our turn to carry passengers. Before 2002, every cab driver was sure to get a good cab full of passengers. Now, we only come twice a week due to the slow turnover of the queue and the lower number of passengers," he said.
He used to bring home Rp 3 million (US$350.00) a month but now it was difficult to even get Rp 1.5 million a month, he said.
Batam tourism office head Raja Supri told The Jakarta Post the local mayoral administration was aware tourists were staying for shorter times, an average of two days, and spending less than US$300.
The office was surveying several beach areas that had the potential of being developed as natural tourist attractions, he said.
"We are also trying to promote Malay culture such as kite competitions and develop Malay dances that would later be presented to visitors in Batam. There's sure to be funding problems, but in spite of that we will do our best," he said.
Right now, the only natural tourist attraction is Melur beach on Galang island, a former refugee camp for Vietnamese boatpeople.