Domestic tourists flood the island of Bali

Thousands of local tourists are expected to stay in Bali during the long holidays — Indonesian Independence Day and Idul Fitri, which will start next week.

Putu Budiasa, head of the Denpasar tourism office, said that the government would impose mass leave for employees of government and private institutions on Aug. 21 and 22.

Indonesian Independence Day falls on Aug. 17, while Idul Fitri will be observed on Aug. 19 and 20.

“All offices, as well as banks, will not operate for at least six days and therefore most residents will have quite a long period of leisure time,” Budiasa said.

Bali has always been the perfect holiday spot for non-Muslim Indonesians from Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan and other cities.

“They usually spend their vacation here in Bali, while their Muslim brethren have to go to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri,” Budiasa said.

Hotels in Kuta, Denpasar, Sanur, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua and Ubud are geared up to receive guests for the upcoming holidays.

“Most hotels here will have high occupancy rates of more than 60 percent, especially in favored destinations like Kuta and Sanur,” said Perry Markus, secretary of the Bali branch of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI).

However, Markus predicted that the surge of domestic tourists would not be too drastic.

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Source: The Jakarta Post | Author: Wasti Atmojo