"Although the G20 Summit is being held in Bali, the impact is very extraordinary because family members of the delegates also visit Yogyakarta," Head of Yogyakarta PHRI Deddy Pranawa Eryana stated when contacted on Tuesday.
G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.
The G20 Summit is being held in Bali on November 15-16, 2022.
According to Eryana, both star-rated and non-star-rated hotels in Yogyakarta recorded an increase in occupancy since last week, with an average percentage reaching up to 80 percent. The increase is expected to continue until December 2022.
The Yogyakarta association head noted that apart from visits by delegates from G20 countries, the increase in the hotel room occupancy rate in the province is also supported by the momentum of the 48th Congress of the Indonesian Muslim organization Muhammadiyah in Solo, Central Java.
"The G20 and the Muhammadiyah congress are interrelated in increasing (the hotel) occupancy in Yogyakarta," he remarked.
In the long term, he expressed optimism that the G20 Summit in Bali would become an effective promotional space for tourism in Indonesia, including Yogyakarta.
Eryana believes that several foreign tourists still perceive Bali as being Indonesia's only tourist destination although apart from Yogyakarta, there are several other leading tourist destinations, such as Labuan Bajo.
"This is what we must explain to them. Thus, the (holding of the) G20 is a momentum that we must achieve and obtain jointly to brand Indonesian tourism, including Yogyakarta," the Yogyakarta PHRI head remarked.
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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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