Number of Chinese Cancelling Plans to Visit Jakarta Small: Garuda

Beijing (Antara Bali) - The number of prospective Chinese tourists who have cancelled plans to visit Jakarta after the bomb attack in Thamrin Boulevard in central Jakarta is small, a carrier has said.

General Manager of the Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia in Beijing, Hans Haliono said his side admitted that the number of prospective Chinese tourists who have cancelled plans to visit Jakarta after the bomb attack was small, namely about 10 to 20 people.

"That load factor for the Beijing-Jakarta route remain high namely 90 percent for January 2016, " he said here on Sunday.

Hans explained that the same thing also occurred on unscheduled flights (chartered flight). During the celebration of the Chinese New Year from January 21 to March 1, Garudas chartered flights with seat capacity occupation reaching 95 percent.

Garuda flies the Beijing-Jakarta route vice versa three times and the Beijing-Denpasar (Bali) route four times a week. It serves unscheduled flights from ten cities in China to Bali during the Chinese Lunar New Year 2016.

"After the Thamrin Boulevard bamb attack in Central Jakarta, many prospective Chinese tourists to Indonesia asked about the security condition in Indonesia, particularly Jakarta and Bali. We explained them the bombing and its handling and the fact that the situation had been taken under control and security has been restored, " Hans said.

He said his side regularly explained to the Chinese tourists through travel bureaus in China the situation in Indonesia. "There is no problem, they (prospective-tourists) could understand it," Hans said.

The Indonesian Tourism Ministry has said that Chinese tourists interest to visit Indonesia remains hight after the terror bombing in Central Jakartas Thamrin Boulevard on January 14, 2016.

"We found that during our tourism promoition in Wuhan, Shanghai and Beijing, Chinese tourists interest to visit Indonesia remains high, " said Jordi Paliama, the deputy director for Asia-Pacific Sale Mission of the Ministry of Tourism, said on the sidelines of the "Indonesia Direct Promotion" activities in Beijing on January 30-31,2016.

He said the number of those who asked about the Thamrin Boulevard bombing was even very small. But, he added, he explained that the bomb terror had been handled by security officers and the Indonesian security condition was now very conducive.

"We told them about the statement of the Indonesian National Police chief that Indonesia is secure, " he said.

"Direct Promotion" 2016 is one of a series of the Indonesian tourism promotional activities conducted in a number of cities in China to attract tourists from that country in the face of the Chinese New Lunar Year in 2016.

There are five travel bureaus which took part in the promotional activities: the Wanwei Travel Agency, Diao Yutai Travel Agency, Beijing Jet Tour International Travel Service, China Comfort Travel and Feijipiao.

The promotion event also presented Indonesian traditional songs and dances. Visitors also have interaction during the Indonesia Direct Promotion at New Zhongguan Shopping Center, Beijing.

The Tourism Ministry hopes to lure 12 million foreign tourists, particularly from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Australia and Japan, this year.

"From China, especially, we plan to attract a total of 1.7 million tourists to spend holidays in Indonesia," he said, addressing some 100 Chinese businessmen engaged in tourism industry.

The number of Chinese tourists who visited Indonesia in 2014 was 959,231. It increased by 18.77 percent to 1,139,281 in 2015.

In addition to Bali, Indonesia has developed 10 major tourist destinations, according to him. (WDY)