Hotels need to lengthen visitors' stay

Hotels need to lengthen visitors' stay

SURABAYA: The length visitors stay at Surabaya hotels is still
not satisfactory. The average length of stay is between 2.3 and
2.5 days in three-star hotels.

Head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association East
Java chapter, Sami Ransum, said "In four- and five-star hotels,
it could be slightly higher."

That figure is for foreign visitors. For local guests it is
even lower. This is quite understandable because Surabaya is not
well known as a tourist destination. More than 90 percent of
visitors are businesspeople; so when they are conducting business
they have to be efficient. "They stay at hotels only to sleep and
have breakfast. After two days, when their business is done, they
leave," said Sami. This condition is not favorable for hotel
organizers. But it has become a challenge.

"We have to assure people that Surabaya is not only a city for
business. There are some interesting places to see," Sami said.
He pointed out Sunan Ampel Mosque and Tanggulangin as highlights
of Surabaya tourism. Tanggulangin is located in Sidoarjo, less
than 30 kilometers south of Surabaya. It is a center for handmade
leather goods, such as bags and shoes. It is famous for its
reasonable prices for quality products, especially when the
products bear international brand names. A visit to Surabaya is
not complete if you do not go to Tanggulangin and buy souvenirs
for your loved ones.

Another interesting tourist destination is Sunan Ampel Mosque,
which is popular for religious tourism. Located in the northern
area of Surabaya, in a district well known as kampong Arab. This
site does not only present sacred and holy place for Muslims, but
also has a traditional market with a touch of Arabic culture,
complete with restaurants featuring Middle Eastern food. During
the sacred month of Ramadhan (the fasting month), this place is
always crowded with people trading in many kinds of dates, while
the rest of the year, if you can't find dates, a rich variety of
garments and crafts is also tempting for shoppers.

According to data at the Association of Indonesian Tour and
Travel Agencies in East Java, Malaysians and Bruneians are the
biggest visitors to East Java. Sami confirms this: "Yes, that's
true. Especially during the crisis, visitors from Malaysia and
Brunei remained active, not only the religious tourists, but also
the businesspeople. Perhaps because they found our products had
good prices."

Many hotels in Surabaya have nightclubs. But without artists,
they mean nothing. Sami suggested the government facilitate the
entertainment business, especially for foreign artists. Permits
should be easier to get and incentives for organizers in the form
of reduced taxes should be provided.

"Surabaya is the second biggest city in Indonesia, but the
nightlife is very much behind," he commented. Businesspeople need
entertainment, especially after a hard day's work.

Sami, who is also general manager at Hotel Elmi, said that
there should be enough money collected by the government from the
10 percent tax (development tax) on hotel and restaurant bills.
He added that some of it should be given back to tourism by
improving or restoring some tourism sites. In this way, hotel
guests, including businesspeople, would want to extend their stay
in order to see the city. The priority, said Sami, was the
historical monuments, since Surabaya is also an historical city.

In Surabaya there are about 21 three- to five-star hotels,
whose occupancy rate is less than 50 percent on average. At Hotel
Elmi, which is popular for its food and live music bar, the rate
could be higher. Most of the guest are locals though. "Up to
1999, the number of foreign guests was less than 10 percent. But
strangely enough, this year, that number has increased to 15
present," said Sami. It could be because of the standard rate. As
four- and five-star hotel rates are higher, visitors tend to go
to 3-star hotels.

However, said Sami, the hotel business was very much affected
by the current security issue, with the most important factor
being the of assurance of safety.