Since the easing of quarantine rules for tourists in April, international visitors have begun to flood Batam, Riau Islands, after a prolonged tourism slump due to the pandemic. Aside from being known as an industrial region, Batam has also been known to charm tourists from abroad.
The island, with its direct access to Singapore and Malaysia, has coastal sites dotted with a wide ariety of tourist attractions, from five-star resorts to natural gems untouched by human hands. It is also worth noting that Batam has a distinctive culinary scene with a specialty in seafood.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded 8,149 foreign tourists visiting Batam city throughout April. The number had increased by 718.99 percent from the previous month, with a total of 995 visits in March. Compared to the same month last year, April saw an increase in visits by 3,707.94 percent.
The tourists visiting throughout February mainly entered the city through Nongsa Pura Port, Harborbay Ferry Port and Hang Nadim International Airport. It was a result of the government’s improved handling of the pandemic, as well as increasing public awareness of the government’s vaccination program.
Singaporeans take the highest share of tourists visiting from January to April at 51.76 percent. From January to April, Batam welcomed 5,027 tourist visits from Singapore.
The second position was taken by Malaysian tourists with 1,441 visits or 14.84 percent of total foreign arrivals in the same period. The third place was taken by Indian nationals (702 visits at 7.23 percent) and the fourth by Chinese tourists (212 visits or 2.18 percent).
Other visitors came from Australia (1.32 percent), the Philippines (1.17 percent), the United States (0.99 percent), the United Kingdom (0.97 percent), France (0.36 percent) and Russia (0.03 percent). They made up 80.84 percent of the total foreign tourist visits from January to April.
The government is continuously developing the 3A concept (Accessibility, Amenities and Attractions) to attract foreign tourists.
“Accessibility continues to be improved, one of which is infrastructure development from airports to road widening. then Amenitas, more malls and shopping centers were opened, the development of new tourist destinations, such as Deer Park and others. Lastly, attractions, namely cultural attractions, after a hiatus of several years, starting in 2022, several cultural attractions have been held,” said the Chairman of BP Batam, Muhammad Rudi.
