Pergub Hotel Rates Appropriate In Fighting Room Brokers Ahead Of MotoGP

ILLUSTRATION /PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

MATARAM - The Indonesian Tour Guides Association (HPI) of West Nusa Tenggara Province assesses that the Governor's move to issue a Governor's Regulation on hotel rates is appropriate considering that hotel rates are soaring ahead of the Mandalika MotoGP event in March.

"Ideally, the government should intervene, especially when hotel rates are out of control like they are today. I think this regulation is a form of government concern," said Head of the NTB Province Indonesian Tour Guide Association (HPI), H Ainuddin in Mataram, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, February 23. .

This member of the NTB Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD) assessed that the NTB Governor's Regulation Number 9 of 2022 concerning the Implementation of the Accommodation Services Business was issued at the right moment.

Moreover, said Ainuddin, there were allegations of a "room brokering" game that deliberately raised hotel prices very expensively and beyond reasonable limits.

This allegation is strengthened due to the fact that business actors and hotels do not increase prices excessively, but rooms are booked by room brokers and resold at multiple times the price.

"I checked at hotels, including Aruna Senggigi and Holiday Resort. The hotel raised it within a reasonable limit, at most Rp. 100 thousand-Rp. 200 thousand. But it was the act of brokers who made bookings to sell again, up to millions of profit per room. This is where the government has to intervene," said Ainuddin, who is also an academic in Mataram City.

Therefore, this old legal practitioner added that for the aspect of justice and regional economic stability, the issuance of the Governor's Regulation on hotel rates is appropriate.

"Where there is a group of people, there is a law. Tourism is the same way," he stressed.

Ainuddin added that this practice of room brokers must be resisted, because greed and taking advantage of the moment of MotoGP will only harm NTB tourism in the future.

According to him, the existence of the Mandalika Circuit and the various activities held should be utilized for the sustainable development of NTB tourism.

"I talked to ITDC, there will be at least 10 to a dozen events every year in Mandalika. So don't think about profit for a moment, but how this sector grows sustainably," he said.

Member of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of NTB Province, Gede Gunanta said the issuance of the Governor's Regulation on hotel rates was a good response from the government in addressing the current issue of hotel rates.

"(The tariff regulation) is good. I see this as a form of response from the NTB Provincial Government in responding to an unreasonable increase in room prices during international events such as MotoGP today," he said.

Gunanta emphasized that the Governor's Regulation could be a reference for business actors, hotels, travel agents "brokers" and other interested parties to responsibly run a sustainable tourism business.

Thus, he continued, MotoGP is able to provide benefits to as many people as possible in NTB and Indonesia in general.

"I hope my hotel business friends don't have to overreact. In the preamble (considering) the Governor's Regulation, it is very clear what is the background and purpose of the birth of the regulation," said Gunanta, who is also the owner of the Bidari Hotel Lombok.