Tourism Actors and Observers Criticize the Revocation of International Status at 17 Airports

From a tourism perspective, the government's decision to downsize 17 international airports is considered detrimental.

PETRUS RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

An officer walks in the empty aisles of passenger airplane activities at Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang City, Central Java, on Friday (7/5/2021).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Apart from a number of supports for the government to streamline the status of international airports from 34 airports to 17 airports, tourism business actors actually convey criticism. Because, not only is the tourism industry disrupted, but cargo of goods is also affected.

The Chairperson of the Indonesian Travel Agent Association (Astindo), Pauline Soeharno, believes that there is no problem with the withdrawal of international status from several airports. This is because international travelers have other airport options.

This is, for example, the case with Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung which has the alternative of Kertajati Airport in Majalengka. The same thing happens with Adisutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta, which has the alternative of Yogyakarta International Airport.

Also read: Government Revokes International Status of 17 Airports

However, the revocation of international status at several other airports is a problem. This is because international travelers have to access airplanes to airports that are far away. Another problem is that the airport is an access node to a number of tourist locations in the local area and surrounding areas.

"However, what is surprising is places like Pontianak (West Kalimantan), Semarang (Central Java), and Belitung (Bangka Belitung Islands) which have tourism and economic potential," he said when contacted from Jakarta on Tuesday (30/4/2024).

ALIF ICHWAN

Potential airplane passengers' tickets are being recorded by airport officials. The government, in Jakarta, on Friday (27/9/2019), hopes that airplane ticket prices can be made affordable for the community. Indonesian airlines can hold discussions with each other in order to solve the problem of affordable tickets for the community.

Pauline continued, domestic plane tickets are still relatively high. In addition, not all regions have adequate infrastructure and other supporting facilities. As a result, not all areas are covered.

"Imagine if you wanted to go from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Semarang, it would mean going through Yogyakarta or Jakarta, which would take several hours of travel by road and train. Our transportation system is not fully integrated," said Pauline, who is also the Secretary General of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI).

Also read: Downsizing Airport Status is Believed to Encourage Domestic Connectivity

Furthermore, Pauline added that cargo matters are also affected. There are no longer specific areas for immigration and quarantine (CIQ) for airports that have had their international status revoked. This is because the requirements for sending and receiving cargo must go through customs and quarantine procedures.

The author hopes that the government will encourage airports to promote tourism and the attractions of their respective regions. This has been done by a number of large airports abroad, including Auckland Airport (New Zealand), Munich Airport (Germany), and Changi Airport (Singapore).

Researcher at the Center for Tourism Studies, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Sotya Sasongko, stated that it is important to maintain international status at a number of airports for the sake of equal distribution of tourists. This is also important to provide convenience for foreign tourists.

Two of them are Adi Soemarmo Airport (Central Java) and Raja Sisingamangajara XII or Silangit Airport (North Sumatra). There is also Juwata Airport (North Kalimantan).

"The Silangit airport actually facilitates tourists, it is cheaper than going through Kualanamu (North Sumatra) or Soekarno-Hatta (Banten), right, it's far. If you're coming from Banten, you have to spend a night because there are no direct flights," he said.

Also read: International Airport Labels Are More Wasteful

Sotya added that Juwata Airport in Tarakan also has the potential to attract tourists from Sarawak, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This airport plays a role in connecting border tourism, not only for commercial activities but also to promote underdeveloped, front-line, and outermost regions (3T).

The withdrawal of CIQ for efficiency is an operational reason. However, from a tourism perspective, this is detrimental and not effective in boosting domestic tourist movements.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo inspected the passenger terminal at Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung, which has recently been developed and has had its capacity increased, on Thursday (14/3/2019).

Policy contradictions

Former Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Yusron Ihza Mahendra, regrets the government's decision to revoke the international status of 17 airports in Indonesia. He believes that this policy contradicts existing policies, including efforts to create "10 New Balis" through the development of international airports.

"I was surprised to read that news (revocation of airport status), especially regarding its impact on our national tourism and economy," he said in writing.

This policy is contrary to existing policies, including encouraging the creation of '10 New Balis' through the development of international airports.

According to Yusron, Ministerial Decree (KM) Number 31 of 2024 regarding the Designation of International Airports is considered to be in contradiction with the government's efforts to boost the tourism industry. Yet, this industry is expected to become the main driver of the national economy. This means that the regulation contradicts previous policies made by the government itself.

"I will ask the government carefully about the logic or background of the minister's decision," he said.

KOMPAS/KRIS RAZIANTO MADA

One side of Seliu Island on the western coast of Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands. Tourists have been focused on attractions on the southern coast of Belitung. However, the island also has many other tourist attractions, such as on Seliu Island.

Yusron and his colleagues are currently attempting to attract East Asian tourists, especially from Japan and South Korea, to the Bangka Belitung Islands Province. Now, they are confused about the reduction of international airports, which puts the risk of decreasing the attraction for tourists to visit.

If cutting international airports is considered more beneficial for foreign airlines, ways to increase Indonesia's competitiveness should be considered instead. On the contrary, it is not about closing those airports.

Also read: Pontianak Supadio Airport Status Changes, Residents Disadvantaged

Several months ago, Yusron invited the South Korean Tourism Service to Bangka Belitung. They plan to build "Little Korea" in Belitung. Not only that, they also designed a sister city between Jeju Island and Tanjung Pandang.

This effort is a form of Indonesia's promotion to foreign countries. The hope is that East Asian tourists will be interested in coming to Indonesia, especially to Belitung, as a form of support for the government's program.