Batam Tourism Authority Ensures Tourism Remains Normal Despite Ferry Ticket Increase
Batam’s Culture and Tourism Agency (Disbudpar) has assured that foreign tourist arrivals will continue normally following an increase in ferry travel costs on the Singapore-Batam route due to a new fuel surcharge implemented on 12 March 2026.
The head of Batam’s Culture and Tourism Agency, Ardiwinata, confirmed on Friday that the ticket price increase has not significantly impacted foreign tourist arrivals, particularly from Singapore.
He stated that upon receiving this information, his agency immediately coordinated with relevant authorities, including the Port Authority and Harbormaster’s Office (KSOP) and the Transportation Agency.
“There is indeed an increase. According to the information we received, this is related to the rise in global oil prices, which has been influenced by the situation in the Middle East,” Ardiwinata said.
“As of now, there have been no cancellations of travel from travel agents or tourism groups that had already planned visits to Batam in the near future,” he added.
The ferry travel cost adjustment has been implemented as an additional fuel surcharge.
For departures from Singapore to Batam via HarbourFront Centre or Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, an additional charge of SGD 6 has been imposed.
For round-trip travel, fares typically ranged around SGD 76 or approximately IDR 1 million.
However, according to the latest monitoring, round-trip ferry fares from Singapore to Batam have reached approximately SGD 88 or around IDR 1.1 million.
Meanwhile, one-way fares from Batam to Singapore have averaged IDR 570,000-650,000, up from the previous range of IDR 530,000.
He also stated that he has communicated with several tourism industry stakeholders, including travel agencies handling group tourism visits from Singapore.
“Based on our monitoring, scheduled tourism activities are proceeding as planned,” he said.
One example is the Batam Golf Tournament, which remains scheduled and has not experienced any participant cancellations to date.
“The Batam Golf Tournament is fully subscribed and there have been no cancellations so far,” Ardiwinata said.