The chairman of Indonesia’s Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Hariyadi B. Sukamdani talks to the press on the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the tourism industry (Photo: https://www.thejakartapost.com/) Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian tourism sector has suffered losses of at least 1.5 billion USD since January amid growing fears over the COVID-19, said Chairman of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Hariyadi B. Sukamdani.
Hariyadi, who is also chairman of the Indonesia Employer’s Association (Apindo), said that of the total estimated losses, about 1.1 billion USD occurred as a result of cancelations made by Chinese tourists, and the remaining 400 million USD resulted from cancelations by holiday-makers from other countries.
The losses are growing as people prefer to stay at home rather than going on vacation, he said, adding that almost all major restaurants and hotels in the country’s tourist destinations had now been hard hit by the sharp fall in the number of tourist arrivals.
If the situation continues, small businesses could be forced to shut down completely, he noted.
According to Secretary-General of the Indonesia Travel Agents Association (ASTINDO) Pauline Suharno, the fears over the COVID-19 epidemic had severely hit local travel agencies.
As of March 12, ASTINDO recorded near 90 percent drops in sales following booking cancelations caused by the outbreak. Meanwhile, in February, ASTINDO’s members recorded a total loss of 4 trillion rupiah (270 million USD)./.
VNA
