Bali, Indonesia. (Photo: Blue Sky Travel) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia recorded 160,280 foreign tourist arrivals in June, down 2.06 percent from the previous month and representing a drop of 88.82 percent as compared to the same month last year, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the local tourism sector, BPS chief Suhariyanto said during a virtual press conference on August 3.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia totalled 3.09 million in the first half of this year, a 59.96 percent decrease from 7.72 million registered in the corresponding period last year, he said.
With most domestic and international travel having ceased, the occupancy rate of star hotels across the island country remained low at 19.7 percent in June, a drop of 32.57 percentage points from a year earlier and 5.25 percentage points from May.
The pandemic has wiped out around 85 trillion rupiah (5.87 billion USD) of Indonesia’s tourism revenue this year. The hotel and restaurant industry has lost nearly 70 trillion rupiah in revenue as leisure travel has come to a complete halt, while aviation and tour operators have lost 15 trillion rupiah in revenue, according to data from the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI).
Despite having yet to bring the coronavirus under control, Indonesia is seeking to speed up the recovery of tourism by reopening its renowned tourist destination Bali. Domestic travelers could visit Bali from July 31 and international visitors will be permitted starting from September 11./.
VNA
