Indonesian Tourism On The Road To Recovery After Jakarta Bombing

Twelve days after the twin bomb attacks in Jakarta, the Indonesian tourism industry has witnessed an optimistic recovery with the increase of room occupancy rates in five-star hotels and tourist arrivals, officials said on Monday.

“According to data from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the number of tourist arrivals has been increasing since Tuesday,” Arie Budhiman, head of the city’s culture and tourism agency told a press conference.

“As of Sunday, the Jakarta International Hotel Association reported that room occupancy in the city’s five-star hotels had reached a normal 70 percent again.”

The J.W. Marriot Hotel and Ritz-Carlton were the target of a calculated terrorist bombing on July 18 which has shocked the nation’s tourism industry.

Room occupancy rates dropped within three days of the bombings in five-star hotels from 70 percent to 59 percent as tourist arrivals dropped from 2,680 on July 18 to 18,48 on July 20.

Bali, which was voted the World’s Best Island in 2009 by Travel + Leisure magazine, has not been affected so much by the bombings as hotel occupancy rates remained steady, however a cruise ship carrying 1800 passengers had cancelled a planned stop.

Tourist numbers have been recently recovered in Bali for the first time since the 2002 bombings, and further bombings in 2005.

Quotes from the Jakarta Post.  For more information visit www.thejakartapost.com