Under the theme “My Destination Indonesia”, hotel chain Plataran Indonesia, state lender Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), private lender Bank Central Asia (BCA), national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, the Yayasan Putri Indonesia foundation and beauty brand Mustika Ratu are offering vacation packages that bundle together airplane tickets, accommodation and exotic tours to certain tourist destinations.

“We have to look at our domestic market. Indonesia’s domestic market is our safety net for our economy,” Plataran Indonesia founder and chief executive officer Yozua Makes said during the launch of the promotion in Jakarta on Thursday.

As the initiator of what he described as “a national movement”, he expressed hope that My Destination Indonesia could create a snowball effect to boost the country’s economy.

“We see that the coronavirus is dangerous medically, but what is more dangerous is its consequences [on the economy],” Yozua said.

The spread of the coronavirus has hit tourism hard, as countries issue travel bans and implement other precautionary measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Tourist destinations in Indonesia have seen a significant drop in visitors in the wake of the virus outbreak.

The Bali Immigration Office recorded a 33 percent drop in tourists arrivals in February, compared to January, with 392,824 arrivals, following the issuance of the government’s travel ban on China on Feb. 5.

In addition, state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I reported that, across its 15 airports, up to 12,703 flights carrying 1.67 million passengers had been cancelled in January and February.

The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) also noted that the country’s overall occupancy rate had fallen to 30 to 40 percent, below the regular low season average of 50 to 60 percent, with some hotels’ rates dropping as low as 20 percent at the beginning of March.

“Garuda strongly supports this kind of initiative. We are offering an attractive ticket pricing program, tailored to the destinations and accommodation, in collaboration with BCA and BNI as well,” Garuda IT and business development director Ade R. Susardi said during the press conference on Thursday.

The airline will offer a 40 percent discount for flights to and from top travel destinations, including for its Jakarta-Denpasar, Jakarta-Labuan Bajo, Jakarta-Yogyakarta and Jakarta-Banyuwangi routes.

The discounted prices are offered via the travel package available on the Garuda Indonesia Holiday website between March 12 and June 30 for flights scheduled until Feb. 28, 2021.

The package also offers a cashback and 0 percent lending rate within 12 months for BNI and BCA credit card users, as well as a 25 percent discount for a treatment at Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa with a minimum purchase of Rp 720,000 (US$47.99).

The government previously pledged to provide financial incentives to minimize the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the country’s tourism and airline sectors. However, many have questioned the initiative, as people will be reluctant to go on vacation because of fears of being infected with the virus. (ydp)

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