People on the Gili Islands and business people have nothing to lose.
Chef Ilhani specializes in serving Japanese cuisine to vacationers on Trawangan Island, in the Gili Islands. Before the epidemic, the island welcomed 1,500 visitors a day. But since the government first imposed a nationwide blockade in March 2020 because of Covid-19 and then closed the border to international guests, Ilhani's restaurant has not survived because of business losses.
From a prosperous boss, now Ilhani earns only 3 USD a day from snack stalls on empty streets that were once crowded with customers. Ilhani is worried that this situation will continue, because the government is planning to impose more stringent disease prevention measures, due to the appearance of the Omicron variant.
"Life is so hard right now. I sell junk food because it's something the locals can afford. Before, I could sell anything because tourists bought it. But now," she said. , this place has become a deserted island," he told AFP.
Ilhani at his current stall on 11/22. For nearly two years now, he has struggled to support his wife and four children on a meager income. Photo: AFP
At the port of Gili Trawangan, most boats, which are used to carry passengers from one island to another or to diving sites, have been anchored for months. In the distance, an abandoned pontoon boat was left to decay.
Abdian Saputra, who runs a passenger service from Bali to the smaller islands, said he had to sell properties and lay off 50% of his staff to keep the business afloat. "I have rarely seen new tourists since the beginning of the pandemic. If we stop, businesses like hotels will die too. We are helping each other to survive," he said.
If the situation remains like this, my business may die in January or February next year," Saputra predicts.
Shops, bars, coffee shops, restaurants are all empty. Some are still trying. maintained, others were completely abandoned. Dust and cobwebs gathered on the tables and chairs that had been left empty for a long time. Not only the owner, the staff also struggled to make a living every day. Some turned to fishing. fish to feed his family
A local man walks past a row of closed shops on Trawangan Island on Nov. 22. The livelihoods of people on the three Gili islands, Trawangan, Meno and Air, have long existed. Depends on international guests Photo: AFP
According to Lalu Kusnawan, president of Gili Hotels Association and also operates a resort in Trawangan, there are about 800 hotels, with 7,000 rooms. 20-30 of them are
open.Borders officially reopen in October. But direct international flights to Bali and other islands are still closed due to tourists facing difficulties. With a strict quarantine and visa review process. Concerned about the Omicron variant, Indonesia extended the mandatory quarantine period to 10 days, extinguishing hopes that the tourism industry was about to revive.
Kusnawan is concerned that the people on the island, and business people like himself, have nothing to lose. "We weren't just bleeding, we had no blood left to bleed. We were in bad shape even before Omicron appeared," he said.
Covid-19 caused the global tourism industry to lose $2 trillion in revenue in 2021. The loss in 2020 is similar, according to data from the United Nations in early December. According to the World Tourism Organization, the recovery is of the tourism industry will be "fragile" and "slow".
Busy resort island, now deserted. The Gili Islands attract tourists thanks to their emerald green waters, sandy beaches and diverse marine life. Photo: AFP
But for international visitors who arrived in Indonesia before the border closed or foreigners who already live in this country, this is an opportunity for them to explore the paradise island without having to be crowded in the streets. crowd.
Nicolas Lindback, from Norway, said: "I'll never get the chance to experience island life like this again, but if I had to choose, I'd still want tourism back... because the people have to suffer too long," said the guest.
