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Travel industry enjoys ‘mudik’ boost after 2-year hiatus
Relaxed COVID-19 curbs made it easier for Indonesians to visit their hometowns and villages for this year’s Idul Fitri – which in turn has helped the travel industry.
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Thousands of old-bicycle enthusiasts from various regions and countries attended a bicycle parade in the city of Yogyakarta in October 2019. (JP/Tarko Sudiarno/Adi )
T
ourism and transportation businesses enjoyed a considerable spike in demand around Idul Fitri this month as the government finally permitted the seasonal mudik (exodus) for the first time in two years.
According to data from the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry and the Transportation Ministry, relaxing the COVID-19 pandemic curbs has led to a significant increase in mobility that saw city-dwellers travel in droves to spend their money in other parts of the archipelago.
The term mudik is a portmanteau derived from the Javanese words mulih dilik (briefly home) and reflects a fusion of Indonesian and Islamic tradition, where people with roots in far-flung regions of the country leave the cities they work in to return to their hometown, or villages, to celebrate Idul Fitri.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said the mudik travelers were also tourists, with many visiting recreational spots and creative economic centers in the regions.
"Tourist destinations and creative economy centers in various regions are all full. Based on external reports and some on-the-spot observations, the number of tourists is vast, which is in line with our target," Sandiaga said during a weekly press briefing on May 9.
Read also: People swarm to tourist spots during long Idul Fitri holiday
Health protocols remain in place to keep infection numbers low, and according to the minister, most people were compliant. He cited data from the COVID-19 task force showing compliance with the mask-wearing and physical distancing rules at tourist destinations amounted to rates of 84 and 83 percent, respectively.
