"Tourists have purchased tickets to visit Batam and Bintan in the near future until May 2022," Buralimar noted in Tanjungpinang, Friday.
The head noted that out of a total of 800 foreign tourists, as many as 300 people will visit Nongsa Sensation, Batam City. Meanwhile, the remaining 500 people will visit the Lagoi tourist area in Bintan District.
"All tourists will depart from the Tanah Merah Port in Singapore," he affirmed.
Buralimar also remarked that on February 23-25, 2022, some 50 foreign tourists from Singapore had visited Nongsa Sensation, Batam City, while the number of foreign tourists having visited Bintan until February 26 had reached 90 people.
"This is the first foreign tourist visit after two years of the pandemic," he noted.
Related news: Singaporean tourists' first arrival at Lagoi on Feb 25: official
He affirmed that based on the evaluation, no problems were so far encountered in tourists visits to Batam and Bintan.
"No foreign tourists have been found exposed to COVID-19," he stated.
On a separate occasion, Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad expressed optimism that the number of Singaporean foreign tourists visiting Riau Islands would increase to support revival of the tourism industry that had been impacted by the pandemic for almost two years.
Ahmad also urged the government of Singapore to increase the quota of foreign tourists visiting the Riau Islands, from 300 people per week to three thousand people per week.
"For now, the quota for tourists visiting Riau Islands is 300 people per week. In future, we hope that the number would be increased to revive our tourism and economy," he noted.
Related news: Indonesia optimistic Singaporeans' visits to Lagoi will increase
Translator: Ogen, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Suharto
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