Hotels push Indonesia to tourists

By Christiani S.A. Tumelap

JAKARTA (JP): Major local hotels are gearing up for a big sales promotion to benefit from early signs of an economic recovery and growing confidence in the country's security situation.

According to the public relations manager of the Jakarta Hilton International, Dewi Widiyanti, the hotel will improve its business contacts with foreign travel agencies to take advantage of the momentum.

The special emphasis in the promotion program will be on attracting tourists from the Middle East and Eastern Europe to Indonesia, she said.

Dewi said the Hilton recently, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts, arranged a visit of a delegation from East European and Middle Eastern countries, consisting of travel agent representatives, travel writers and journalists to see Indonesia's tourism potential.

"The situation has become more stable now, making it easier for us to sell," she told The Jakarta Post.

The relatively peaceful general election early this month has brought new hope for a quicker recovery in the country's economy. Economic indicators are improving, with the rupiah showing strength and the inflation rate easing.

Reports of religious and ethnic unrest in several parts of the country over the past several months discouraged foreigners from visiting Indonesia, emptying most of the country's star-rated hotels, which also lost their local clientele due to the country's worst ever economic crisis.

The Mandarin Oriental hotel's public relations manager, Ria Leimena, said the hotel had also begun to boost its promotions.

"We promote our hotel here through all Mandarin chains worldwide. We inform people out there that they have more than a hundred reasons to visit Jakarta now," she said.

She said the hotel was also active in promoting tourism in Jakarta by, among other things, participating in the current Bali Travel Mart and launching a Jakarta food promotion.

Meanwhile, the Gran Melia hotel has been targeting Indonesians and expatriates here by opening a new bar, Kelts, and has prepared a special room package, according to public relations manager Hanum Yahya.

"We hope the package will bring more guests to stay in our hotel, just as the new pub has done for us," she told the Post.

She said the room package, costing Rp 650,000 and including breakfast for two and entrance to a fitness center, would be effective from July 15.

Nadira Alatas Sriwijanarko, public relations manager of The Dharmawangsa, said the hotel was also offering discounts, including the Tropical Summer and Week End packages.

"The Week End package is mostly taken by Indonesians. We have so far three to four bookings per month," she told the Post.

She said the packages, costing US$180 and Rp 2 million respectively per night for two people, excluding tax and service charges, include breakfast at the hotel's Jakarta Restaurant or in-room dining, traditional massage in the Spa, use of fitness facilities and one return limousine transfer.

Despite the heady onset of promotions, hotel operators remain cautious about the stability situation in the country, due to the delayed vote count and the presidential election scheduled for November.

Dewi from the Hilton expressed the concern that tourists would not automatically come to Indonesia just because the campaign and voting went well.

"Things seem to be fine here now. But people out there probably will not come straight away because this is not the end of the whole process," she said.

Hanum said Gran Melia has hired an Australian security management company to train their staff on contingency plans for an emergency situation.

"We are very optimist that more tourists will come and stay in our hotel, especially because ours is located in quite a safe area near the president's residence," she said.

"But we have to be realistic too," Hanum added.

Hotel operators said the smooth completion of campaigning and vote-casting have helped increase room demand, though only very slightly.

The average room occupancy rate for Mandarin is currently between 32 percent and 34 percent, up from an average of 30 percent in May, while Gran Melia's stands at around 25 percent to 30 percent, up from 25 percent in May.