The Mataram city government in West Nusa Tenggara has been asked to prepare 25 thousand rooms to fulfill the requirement of 70 thousand rooms for tourists visiting the city for the MotoGP championship in March 2022.
During a meeting with state-owned hospitality company Hospitality of Indonesia Network (HIN), Mataram City Tourism Office head H Nizar Denny Cahyadi said that the authority will coordinate with sub-regional leaders regarding the provision of guest rooms.
“We will coordinate with sub-district and village heads regarding the possible appropriation of residential houses as guest rooms to fulfill the directed room quota,” Cahyadi said in Mataram on Wednesday.
The authority will utilize all available dwellings to fulfill the required quota of 25 thousand rooms, he said adding, meeting the target would be challenging.
“We will also count all empty rooms in boarding houses in the city that can be used to serve the visitors,” the office head noted.
Sub-district and village leaders will disseminate information about the room provision, and residents whose dwelling or boarding house are eligible for the scheme can apply to their local authority, Cahyadi explained.
“Some basic criteria of houses eligible for MotoGP visitor lodgings is that the dwelling must have beds, bathrooms, and eateries available close to the location,” he said.
The HIN team has also designated the availability of places of interest close to the dwellings as a criterion for eligible dwellings, despite this not being on the priority list, the office head added.
Regarding the rent for lodgings, Cahyadi said he expected the price to be lower than hotels, but a final decision would be made after deliberations with government officials.
He said the price of a one-night stay at two-star hotels would be around Rp125 thousand (US$8.75), and a one-night stay at residents’ lodgings would cost between Rp75 thousand and Rp100 thousand (US$5.25–7).
Meanwhile, HIN’s vice president for travel management, Susy Napitupulu, informed that the company will help promote residents’ dwellings as tourist lodgings after the Mataram city government determines the houses.
“Residents who are willing to lend their house for tourist lodgings can apply in our application,” she said.
Applicants will be required to provide detailed information about their home, including information about the total number of available beds, air conditioners or fans, and bathrooms, she added.
“The information is required to ensure visitors’ convenience in deciding their place of stay. We hope the Mataram government will be successful in procuring the 25 thousand guest rooms,” Napitupulu remarked.
Source: Antara News