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THE imposition of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) also had an impact on the occupancy rate of hotels in Bali which reached 8-9% with an average tourist visit per day of 2,800 people.
According to the Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI) of Badung Regency I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya said that in a normal situation without PPKM, tourist visits in Bali can reach 10,000 people. However, currently the maximum number of visits is 3,000 people per day, with an average stay of 3 nights.
“We understand that because the Covid-19 case in Bali is still high, people are also afraid to go or have a vacation here. Meanwhile, I do not deny the possibility that there will be a further wave of tourism workers who are sent home without pay, which is due to the low occupancy rate of hotels,” he said.
He explained that this is a form of professionalism in hotel management. If the occupancy rate drops, the workforce will also be reduced due to the inability of employers to pay their employees’ salaries. Although this is difficult for tourism actors, he understands that PPKM is the right policy in dealing with a pandemic situation on the Island of the Gods. Currently, the addition of COVID-19 cases in Bali has reached three digits or nearly 500 people per day positive for COVID-19.
He also hopes that the PPKM extension to February 8, 2021 and cooperation from all parties can reduce the spread of the virus in Bali.
“If we are disciplined with the implementation of prokes [health protocols], and vaccine distribution runs smoothly, it is very possible that there will be improvements in this sector in the second quarter of 2021,” he explained.
Meanwhile, General Manager of Hotel Harris and Residences Sunset Road Bali, Nyoman Wirayasa said that due to PPKM policies in Badung Regency, booking orders in January 2021, namely 115 rooms per night and 10 events had been canceled by his clients.
Although he has not calculated the amount of potential income lost due to the cancellation, he admits that the economic impact caused by social restrictions is very severe, especially for the tourism sector.
“It’s like falling down a ladder too, especially when there is no certainty when this pandemic will end. Apart from the Harris Hotel and Sunset Road Residences, 5 other Harris hotels also experienced cancellation of orders from tourists,” Nyoman noted.
This condition, he continued, may still have an impact in the next few months because tourists prefer to wait and see before deciding to go on vacation or hold activities.
“Hopefully every step taken by the government is an effective decision without neglecting the economic side of the community,” he explained. [bisnis.com/photo special]
