A total of 78,498 international tourists visited Batam city, Riau Islands, in September 2022, up 30.29 percent from 60,249 the previous month, according to the local office of Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

The increase in tourist arrivals resulted from the reopening of entry points to Batam and the lifting of the antigen PCR test and quarantine requirements, chief of the BPS Office in Batam city, Rahmad Iswanto, said in a written statement released on Friday.

The entry points to Batam city, including Batam Center Ferry Port, Nongsa Pura Port, Harbourbay Ferry Port, and Hang Nadim International Airport, recorded an increase in tourist arrivals, he informed.

“Compared to September 2021, the number of tourist arrivals in September 2022 jumped 54,412.50 percent,” he highlighted.

Most of the tourists visiting Batam in September 2022 came from Singapore—accounting for 57.47 percent of the total tourist arrivals.

Meanwhile, the number of tourists from Malaysia reached 10,118, India 3,075, China 1,365, the Philippines 1,195, Britain 616, Australia 564, the United States 554, Japan 429, and Germany 193.

“From the top ten sources of tourist arrivals, the number of tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, India, China, the Philippines, Australia, the United States, and Britain increased in September 2022 compared to the previous month,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the room occupancy rate at star-rated hotels in Riau Islands in September 2022 averaged 42.61 percent, up 1.69 percent from 40.92 percent in August.

“The foreign and domestic tourists’ length of stay at star-rated hotels in Riau Islands province in September 2022 averaged 1.65 days, up 0.05 points compared to August 2022,” he said.
 

Source: Antara News