Prolonged Social Restrictions, Hotel Occupancy Only 20 Percent

Chairman of the DKI Jakarta PHRI Regional Leadership Body Sutrisno Iwantono (Photo: Mery / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI) DKI Jakarta said that restrictions on community social activities have caused hotel occupancy to continue to decline. One of them is due to the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman of the DKI Jakarta PHRI Regional Leadership Agency, Sutrisno Iwantono, said that the occupancy rate of hotels and restaurants in Jakarta during the COVID-19 pandemic dropped drastically. In fact, only under 20 percent remains.

"The occupancy rate has actually decreased in the past 5 years, from about 70 percent to about 56 percent. Now maybe some are below 20 percent. It must be bleeding. It's very heavy, it is certain to lose a lot because the cost burden will not be covered," he said, in Jakarta, Sunday, January 17th.

Sutrisno said, even though he was bleeding, the hotel must continue to run its business, not stop. Because, if it is stopped now, the losses will be even greater.

Furthermore, Sutrisno said, if in the next two months there has been no improvement, it will be even more difficult for hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs to survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, he asked the government to continue to address health problems first.

According to him, if this health problem can be handled properly, this will foster confidence for the middle and upper class who have money to consume in hotels and restaurants.

"Health problems are a determining factor. The priority of improving health must be higher," he said.