Normality comes back to Jakarta after hotel bombings

JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which were hit by last week’s bombing, will get rapidly back to normal since Jakarta’s governor gave the green light to start repair work, according to an intervie

JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which were hit by last week’s bombing, will get rapidly back to normal since Jakarta’s governor gave the green light to start repair work, according to an interview from Governor Fauzi Bowo to the Tempointeraktif.com website. Both hotels are due to reopen soon, and roads around the hotels were reopened to cars last weekend.

The bombings have generated an outcry in the Indonesian population with solidarity demonstrations and inter-faith praying being conducted.

Tourism leaders have actively stepped in to reassure tourists that they can continue to come safely to the Indonesian capital. The Jakarta International Hotels Association (JIHA) said that 2,000 foreign travelers cancelled their plans to come to Jakarta, following the bombings. Five- and four-star hotels in Jakarta have seen a 10 percent drop in occupancy since the events. However, the decline should be short-lived.

Tourism Minister Jero Wacik announced that the government will free an additional budget of US$9.3 million to sustain the ministry’s tourism recovery program. All major hotels have also tightened up security measures for guests and visitors. The army has been sent to patrol airports, with stricter control and security measures enforced for passengers. In Bali, some 12,000 security personnel have been on alert since the bombings took place.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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