According to the province's tourism office head Buralimar, the central government should offer a clarification on the regulation for Singaporean tourists that visited Riau Islands under the travel bubble scheme following the decision to rescind the COVID-19 test certificate requirement for domestic travellers.
"We are still awaiting the regulation, and if the central government also rescinds the COVID-19 PCR and antigen test requirement, I believe Singaporean tourists' arrival to Lagoi and Nongsa will surge," Buralimar noted here on Tuesday.
The tourism office head remarked that an increase in the number of Singaporean tourists in Lagoi and Nongsa this year was not significant, as the province only welcomed 10 Singaporean tourists on March 1-5, 2022, after recording only 36 Singaporean tourist arrivals in February.
Related news: Gilimanuk-Mengwi toll road to have special bicycle lane: Minister
On the other hand, the number of domestic tourists arriving in Lagoi last week had reached 500, he remarked.
"If the COVID-19 test requirement regulation is effective, I am optimistic that thousands of tourists would visit Lagoi every day," Buralimar remarked.
Buralimar also breathed a sigh of relief after the region’s COVID-19 Task Force allowed Singaporean tourists to stay at their hotels within the travel bubble zone whilst awaiting their COVID-19 PCR test result rather than waiting at the Nongsapura Port in Batam upon arrival.
Some tourists had earlier complained about the regulation that necessitated them to wait for their COVID-19 test result at the port, he pointed out.
Related news: East Nusa Tenggara targets tourism recovery by holding five festivals
"At the start of the implementation of the travel bubble scheme, only tourists visiting Lagoi region had the discretion to wait for their PCR test result at their hotel room. However, now, praise be to God, the COVID-19 Task Force has allowed all tourists to stay in their hotel room while awaiting their PCR test result," Buralimar remarked.
Tourists whose COVID-19 test yielded a negative result can continue their quarantine in the integrated tourism area in Batam and Bintan, the office head stated.
Buralimar remarked that tourists diagnosed with COVID-19 would undergo isolation at facilities outside the travel bubble zone, and they could be relocated to a referral hospital if their symptoms worsen.
"For Indonesian nationals, the isolation and treatment fees will be paid by the government, while foreign nationals would have to pay the fees themselves," Buralimar stated.
Related news: Ministerial instruction regulates ease in restrictions in Java, Bali
Related news: Vaccinated travelers no longer obliged to present COVID-19 test report
Translator: Nikolas Panama, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
