Dispar: Tourists Have Not Vaccinated Quarantined At Hotel Mutiara Malioboro Yogyakarta

Head of Dispar DIY Singgih Raharjo (ANTARA/Luqman Hakim)

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta Special Region Tourism Office stated that foreign tourists who are known to have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be quarantined overnight at Mutiara 2 Hotel, in the Malioboro area, Yogyakarta.

"For those who haven't been vaccinated for foreign tourists, they should rest first in the prepared place, namely at Hotel Mutiara 2 to be observed for one night," said Head of Dispar DIY Singgih Raharjo as quoted by Antara, Monday, June 20.

According to Singgih, the policy determined by the Yogyakarta Port Health Office (KKP) is aimed at preventing the emergence of COVID-19 suspects in DIY as tourism regulations are relaxed in the local province.

He said a number of foreign tourists from the Netherlands began to visit tourist destinations in DIY along with the easing.

"Yesterday there was a group of foreign tourists from the Netherlands who had arrived and from the KKP required foreign tourists who had not been vaccinated to be quarantined first. Even then, the number was not large, so it was confirmed that they were healthy," he said.

Meanwhile, for local visitors, Singgih asked to continue to activate the PeduliLindung application while still implementing health protocols while traveling in DIY.

He hopes that the management of tourist destinations will support the enforcement of these rules in accordance with the policy for the Enforcement of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) level 1 which is still valid in DIY.

"In accordance with PPKM regulations, it requires PeduliLindung to be carried out. Only green ones are allowed. This is our concentration to keep reminding industries, destinations, and tourist villages," said Singgih.

He said the policy of easing tourism regulations along with the decline in PPKM status to level 1 had a significant impact on tourism in DIY.

This is because the decline in PPKM status has allowed tourist attractions or public areas in DIY to operate at 100 percent capacity even though they still have to implement health protocols.

With this easing, he claimed that the current level of tourist arrivals in DIY has approached the conditions before the COVID-19 pandemic. "If we compare it before the pandemic, it is not equal or not the same. If we approach it, especially for domestic tourists," he said.

The chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) DIY, Deddy Pranowo Eryono, said that the occupancy or occupancy rate of hotel rooms has started to creep up since the decline in PPKM levels in DIY.

For star hotels, he said, the average occupancy in June 2022 will reach 60 to 70 percent, while non-star hotels will reach 20 to 40 percent. "Now the occupancy has started to stabilize starting last May," said Deddy.