LONDON, 29 August 2018: Indonesia has suffered a 26% setback in bookings since the second earthquake struck Lombok 5 August, according to research by ForwardKeys.
Prior to the two earthquakes that hit Lombok late July and early August, Indonesia was having a good year in tourism with bookings up 10% since January when compared with 2017.
But that changed 29 July, when an earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok, killing 20 people and injuring over 400.
Just nine days later, a second, even more devastating earthquake, measuring 6.9, struck Lombok, killing 555 people and injuring over 1,400. The two earthquakes have displaced 156,000 residents on Lombok and destroyed villages and seriously damaged towns across the holiday island.
ForwardKeys noted that the nation’s tourist trade was badly affected because bookings to Bali, the top gateway destination lying just across the straits from Lombok, suffered a bigger decline in bookings, than was evident elsewhere in Indonesia.
From 1 January until the first earthquake, bookings for Bali were 15.2% up, but after the second quake they dropped by 42.9%.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, tourism accounts for 10% of employment in Indonesia, but in tourist hot spots, such as Bali and Lombok, it is considerably higher.
By comparison Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, which is a regional commercial centre, has fared much better. Bookings are down by just 2.2%.
Indonesia’s most important source market is China, accounting for 14% of all visitors. Prior to the second earthquake, bookings were up 3% on the previous year but afterwards they suffered a 59% drop.
Bookings from Australia, Indonesia’s second most important market, were up 28% before the second quake but they have since plummeted 19%.
Similar setbacks have been seen in bookings from Hong Kong, and Singapore, but bookings from India are still 16% up on 2017, although they were 38% up prior to the second quake.
ForwardKeys CEO Olivier Jager said: “In the face of such an overwhelming natural disaster, it is not surprising that there has been a collapse in travel bookings. One can only feel enormous sympathy for Indonesia and for the people of Lombok.”
Just weeks after the quakes the travel trade in Bali and Lombok is punching in with promotions such as pay for two nights and get one free, while presenting the predictable sales response that “areas of the island frequented by tourists are safe and unaffected.”
However, out of 83 registered hotels on the island 25 were damaged. Many of them will remain closed until early 2019.
The government has set a December deadline to fully restore schools, hospitals and clinics, mosques and other facilities that provide essential services to residents. Lombok faces the immense task of rehabilitation that also extends to Gili islands.
While tourists are welcome and their visits will be viewed as supportive and helpful for the recovery process, healing for the trauma and loss will take much longer than the physical restoration of infrastructure and commerce.
