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THE online travel agency welcomes the homecoming ban policy issued by the government this year with a campaign that provides easy access to travel, namely flexible ticket bookings, safe travel features and staycation promos.
According to Ryan Kartawidjaja, Head of Commercial Pegipegi, said in press release, Monday (26/4), that we are aware that with the policy of prohibiting homecoming, the challenges of going home this year will not be much different from last year’s. Responding to this, we have high optimism because we have successfully passed the challenge, and we are sure to pass it again.
“Pegipegi will continue to strive to provide easy access to travel for every community, one of which is the Unlimited Togetherness program created in collaboration with various partners, both hotels, flights, and bank partners,” he said.
He explained, of course, we also urge all people to pay attention to the health protocols recommended by the government, to stay safe and comfortable when travelling. Ahead of the 2021 Ramadan period, to be precise on March 25-April 1, 2021, Pegipegi also conducted a survey to determine the preferences of returning to the village of Lebaran 2021 of the Indonesian people.
This survey was followed by more than 700 respondents from all over Indonesia. Based on the results of the survey conducted, 83.3% of respondents did not return home in 2020. Prior to the ban on homecoming, 72% of respondents planned to return to their hometowns in 2021.
Meanwhile, 28% of respondents decided not to return to their hometowns in 2021. This shows that the majority of Indonesians want to go home during the Lebaran period this year, because most of them did not go home in 2020.
Meanwhile, Priya Vohra, VP of Business Operations Pegipegi, said that based on the survey that Pegipegi conducted, we see that there is still a desire for the community to return home this year. However, due to the pandemic, there are several things that are limited in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus even more widely. To answer this, Pegipegi wants to bridge the needs of society and at the same time support government policies through the Unlimited Togetherness campaign.
In the campaign, consumers can order flexible departure tickets with discounts of up to 50%, as well as additional discounts from bank partners.
Priya added that our party also guarantees the safety and comfort of the community while travelling by utilising the Pegipegi Travel Protection, Clean & Safe Stay features, as well as free Antigen Rapid Test for various flights.
“Meanwhile, for people who do not return to their hometowns, we provide an alternative to still be able to enjoy the moment with family by staying at a favourite hotel. This is in line with the results of the survey on travelling preferences during Lebaran, which shows that as many as 69 percent of people plan to have a staycation during Eid, and 28% of the people want to do a staycation outside the city but it is still close to the city where they live,” Priya Vohra noted.
Based on the survey results, it was also identified the factors that influenced respondents to decide not to return to their hometowns. Among them, 77% of respondents were worried about contracting the COVID-19 virus when travelling, 61% of respondents were worried about bringing the COVID-19 virus to their family, 45% of respondents had not received vaccinations, 40% of respondents were worried that their destination was included in the COVID-19 Red Zone, and 38% of respondents because ticket prices are still relatively expensive.
Travelling in the midst of a pandemic requires strategic preparation to avoid uncertain things, such as cancellation of flight schedules related to government policies, as well as other unexpected things.
Based on a survey conducted by Pegipegi, the people’s main preferences when buying travel tickets in the midst of a pandemic include choosing tickets with promo prices (92%), refundable tickets (90%), rescheduling tickets (87%), and additions. travel protection or insurance (47%).
It is also predicted that the policy to prohibit going home will increase the trend of staycation as an alternative for people who do not go home during the Lebaran period.
Likewise Alice Sulistyawati, Corporate Director of Sales at Tauzia Hotel Management Indonesia, said Ramadan and Eid are special moments for Indonesian people, especially those who celebrate them. The policy to prohibit going home for the second time is sure to cause disappointment in itself. However, for those who do not go home, they can still enjoy quality time together with their family by staying at their favourite hotel. Currently, hotel bookings during the Lebaran period have begun to see an increase of 30% from the new normal period during the pandemic.
The current community has also been able to adapt to the pandemic situation by prioritizing health protocols when traveling.
This is reinforced by the preparations that need to be done if you want to return home in the midst of a pandemic, including bringing safety kits such as masks, hand sanitisers, hand washing soap, etc. (99%), health checks to ensure safety when returning home (93%), try to keep their distance and avoid crowds (92%), and bring food utensils and personal worship (61%). [antaranews]
