The MotoGP event, the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia 2024, is scheduled for September 27-29 at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Central Lombok, NTB.
"We have prepared the legal basis so that surging hotel room prices will not recur," Head of the NTB Tourism Office, Jamaludin Malady, stated here on Wednesday.
The NTB government admitted that in 2022, hotel room prices in the first ring area of the Mandalika circuit surged by up to 10 folds.
At that time, accommodation business players set high rates as many hotels were damaged and not operating due to the 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2018, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic that protracted for two years.
Malady stated that after reflecting on the experiences gained in 2022, the regional government finally issued an NTB Governor's Regulation limiting the maximum increase in hotel room prices.
"Business players are allowed to raise the hotel room prices during international events, especially MotoGP, by a maximum of three folds. For example, if the normal hotel room price is Rp1 million (US$62.32), it can be increased to Rp3 million (US$187.16)," he explained.
The maximum three-fold increase is only applicable to hotels inside the first ring area. Meanwhile, for hotels in the second ring area in Mataram City and West Lombok District, the maximum increase is only twofold of the normal price.
Hotels in the third ring area in the districts of North Lombok and East Lombok are only allowed to raise the prices by up to one fold.
In addition to the regulation, which has been implemented since 2023, the Central Lombok district head has formed a Task Force for the Hotel Room Price Upper Limit.
The task force will impose sanction on those violating the rules in the form of freezing the business license.
According to Malady, the regulation is implemented so that visitors do not stay in Bali. Using a high-speed ferry, one can travel from Bali to Lombok in only 1.5 hours.
In Bali, the hotel room prices during the MotoGP event are relatively cheap and do not increase as in Lombok.
"We want other business players, apart from the hotel, to benefit economically from the once-a-year event," he affirmed.
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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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