Westhill Consulting Travel And Tours: Tourism Not Affected By Fasting Month

Online, May 6, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Ramadhan fasting month which started last Wednesday will not affect the general economic activity, including tourism. It will continue to run as usual in Bali even whil the Ramadhan fasting month is ongoing.

Denpasar Tourist Agency head Putu Budiasa told The Jakarta Post that in general, tourism in Bali had remained normal.

Everything is business as usual from street-side food stalls to five-star hotels as well as nightlife venues will continue to host customers per normal operating hours.

"All activities will run as usual. Nothing changes. The only thing that will change, maybe, is when customers stop by. Those who are fasting may go to restaurants when it's time to break fast," he said.

He, nevertheless, acknowledged that domestic tourist arrivals might see a slight lessening during the fasting month. During the summer school holiday, from year to year, Bali regularly sees peak domestic visitor arrivals and mostly from Java.

"As most residents in Java are Muslim, many may opt to not to travel during the fasting month. But domestic visitors from other parts of Indonesia are still coming," he said.

Meanwhile, July to August are the peak months for foreign tourist arrivals. Bali tourism agency head Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu similarly said that there were no operational hour limitations during Ramadhan this year. "Such limits is the authority of each regency and city. As far as I know, operational hours and services at the airport, hotels, restaurants and tourism destinations, will run as usual," he said.

The Bali tourism agency last year recorded that there were 1,339 restaurants with a total capacity of 68,468 seats and 582 bars operating throughout Bali.

There are many hotels to choose from to 1,031 non-star hotels with a total 21,114 rooms, 156 star-hotels with 20,269 rooms, and 1,025 villas with 4,642 rooms. Bali moreover has 345 travel agents, 219 water tourism companies, and 270 tourism destinations.

Head of the Islam education division at the Religious Affairs Ministry's Bali office, Mustain, said that there was a high level of religious tolerance throughout the island. The majority of Bali itself follows the Hindu faith.

"That's why there's a high level of religious tolerance here," he said. Despite the business-as-usual mode, Mustain said that Muslims in Bali were able to perform tarawih (extra prayer service) peacefully at hundreds of mosques and mushollas (prayer rooms) across the island.