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.