Chief of the Batam City Culture and Tourism Office Ardiwinata remarked here on Tuesday that since early 2019, the number of tourists arriving in Batam had shown a monthly rise following various programs provided by the government and business people.
The number of tourist arrivals in Batam was recorded at 128,675 in January, surging to 158,088 in February, and further inching up to 173,947 in March. The city government has outlined a target of 460,710 tourist arrivals for 2019.
Ardiwinata pointed to tourists from Singapore largely constituting visitors to Batam during the January-March 2019 period.
The increase in the number of tourist arrivals was driven by factors comprising the long holidays in Singapore. As a result, several of them decided to holiday in neighboring Batam.
He noted that the roads and parks in Batam City will further facilitate tourists to enjoy their visit to the island of Batam.
"In addition, hot deals offered by the city government in collaboration with business persons further contributed to the increase," he stated.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya also praised the success of the hot deal program during his recent visit to Batam.
Hot deal is a low-tariff holiday package offered during the lean season. The package comprises the Singapore-Batam-Singapore high-speed boat, sp, and hotel stay.
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Translator: Yuniati Naim, Suharto
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
