City to party for new year despite global downturn

Tifa Asrianti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/22/2008 11:07 AM  

Never mind the global financial slowdown, this New Year's Eve Jakarta is going to spend plenty on festivities -- at least, that is what the city's tourism sector believes. 

Arie Budiman, head of the tourism agency, said his office had received a large number of proposals for New Year's Eve events, and there could even be more than last year. 

In 2007, the agency recorded 82 applicants and 131 events. By Dec. 19, the agency had recorded 82 applicants and 119 events. 

"They will not hold events if there is no demand," Arie told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. "I think there will be an increase in the number of New Year's events this year. This is a positive sign of tourism's contribution to the city's economy. It also shows the resilience of the Jakarta tourism sector in facing the looming crisis." 

He said the tourism packages on offer were usually stay-in packages, entertainment and live music or old-and-new parties. 

Fransiska Kansil, public relations officer at Hotel Borobudur, said that although her hotel did not throw a special New Year's Eve party, all of the hotel's ballrooms had been booked out for corporate functions. 

"We don't organize a special party because there will be fireworks at the National Monument (Monas), which our guests can view from their rooms," she said. 

Rachmad Sugiyanto, general manager at Hotel Sahid Jaya of Lippo Cikarang, said his hotel would have a gala dinner to welcome in the new year. 

He said that for the function, his hotel would target Indonesian residents in the area, because 80 percent of residents were expatriates who usually return to their home countries for the holiday. 

"We are optimistic about the New Year event because it is Indonesian culture to celebrate important events," he said. 

"Even if they don't spend the night at the hotel, they usually dine at the hotel restaurant." 

Fransiska said her hotel's occupancy rate usually reached around 90 percent during the New Year's celebrations, because it not only focused on international guests, but also tapped the local market. 

As a result, she added, the hotel's meeting rooms were already booked until next week. 

"Also, perhaps local guests are afraid to go abroad after hearing about various events such as the airport blockade in Bangkok in Thailand and the terrorist attack in Mumbai in India. So they prefer to stay in the city," she said. 

Arie was optimistic that this year's tourism report would end on a high note because the number of tourists had been good. 

The city's tourism sector might start feeling the pinch of global financial crisis by the first quarter of next year, he added. 

Yanti Sukamdani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI), said the city's tourism sector would probably feel the impact of the global crisis by June next year. 

"We will have the general elections next year, which will boost revenue for the hotel and restaurant sector because there will be meetings in hotels and restaurants," she said. 

"If the presidential election goes to a second round, this will last until October."