Yogyakarta Prepares One Gate System Ahead Of Christmas-New Year, All Tourists Are Checked At Giwangan Terminal

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta City Government is preparing to adjust the rules for the one gate system for tourists during the Christmas and New Year holidays following the issuance of the latest regulations from the Ministry of Transportation regarding travel requirements on 24 December-2 January 2022.

"If there are regulations from the center, we will of course adjust them. It's just a matter of adding more types of checks to tourists who come," said Yogyakarta Deputy Mayor Heroe Poerwadi in Yogyakarta, Antara, Tuesday, December 21.

According to him, the one gate system policy is an effort to screen tourists who will enter the city of Yogyakarta, to ensure they are in good health and have been vaccinated.

The one gate system inspection which started at the end of October and was centered at the Giwangan Terminal Yogyakarta to check the vaccination status of tourists who came using tourism buses. Tourists who come have to vaccinate at least one dose.

Tourism buses that have passed the inspection will get parking access to a number of tourist parking lots in the city of Yogyakarta. Meanwhile, tourism buses that do not pass the inspection are prohibited from entering the city of Yogyakarta.

"If there are additional travel conditions that are stipulated by the ministry, it will be carried out by the City of Yogyakarta," he said.

Based on the Circular of the Ministry of Transportation Number 109 of 2021 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Domestic Travel by Land Transportation during the Christmas and New Year 2022 Periods, a number of rules are enacted.

Among these regulations, travelers using land transportation must have complete vaccinations, show a negative rapid antigen test result no later than 1x24 hours before departure and use the PeduliLindung application.

Until now, Heroe said, he had not been able to predict the peak of tourist visits during the Christmas and New Year's 2022 holidays given the rapid changes in regulations.

“Many tourists are still referring to the old rule of choosing a vacation before Christmas. But it is also possible that there are tourists who come during the Christmas and New Year holidays because there are changes in the rules. We are still monitoring its progress," he said.

Every weekend, continued Heroe, Yogyakarta is already crowded with tourists. "Last weekend, it was even quite crowded, so it is necessary to anticipate to prevent the potential for transmission. At the very least, health protocols must still be followed," he said.

One of the anticipations of potential contagion that will be taken is to ensure that all economic actors comply with opening and closing hours. "Even though the current case growth conditions can be said to be low, health protocols should not be ignored," he said.