Tourist Attractions and Malls in Jakarta Half-Empty Despite Reopening

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Visitor numbers at tourist attractions and malls in Jakarta are low according to the Head of Jakarta’s Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Cucu Ahmad Kurnia.

The agency’s data shows that many of the malls and tourist attractions across the capital city are recording below 50 percent capacity in visitor numbers.

“The response from the people has not been too high. For example, Ancol recorded 2,600 visitors on the first day of reopening followed by 4,600 visitors on the second day. Whereas Ancol can accommodate up to 20,000 visitors upon reopening,” said Cucu on June 23.

Read also: Jakarta Sights Roar Back to Life After Three-Month Slumber

The Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta received 600 visitors on their first day of reopening.

In the new normal transition, Ragunan Zoo is allowed to host 1,000 people.

Another tourist attraction experiencing similar trends is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) or Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park.

Around 1,500 people visited TMII on the first day followed by 4,300 visitors the next day.

For TMII, the number of visitors during the early days of reopening is still below their permitted capacity.

Cucu has stated that he will have to wait and see how the visitor numbers fare in the coming days.

Half-empty malls

Malls in Jakarta are also believed to meet well below their 50 percent permitted visitor capacity.

According to Cucu, on average, Jakarta malls are at 30 percent capacity though it picks up during the weekends.

“Malls reach about 30 percent capacity during the weekdays and around 30-40 percent during the weekends. It depends on the mall since people are still adapting before they go and visit,” said Cucu.

Read also: Malls in Jakarta to Reopen on 15 June

“The trend we’re experiencing is similar to the rest of the world. When China relaxed lockdown measures, their citizens were afraid of visiting places that would draw large crowds,” Cucu said.

Since malls in Jakarta were allowed to open during the new normal transition on June 15, mall operators have had to adopt new health protocols or risk incurring a hefty fine.

Read also: Indonesian Government Advises Parents to Keep Toddlers Away from Shopping Centers

Association of Indonesian Shopping Mall Operators Chairperson Ellen Hidayat has said that 80 malls and shopping centers in Jakarta have agreed to respect the provincial government’s regulations.

Malls in the capital are required to know their visitor numbers with some upscale malls turning to technology via QR Code to do the job.

Each Jakarta mall must also find ways to avoid overcrowding at the entrance door. Upon entry, visitors must also have their body temperature scanned.

If visitors or employees of Jakarta malls are found to have a 37.3-degree Celsius temperature, they would be forbidden from entering the mall. 

(Writer: Ryana Aryadita Umasugi | Editor: Sabrina Asril) 

Source: https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/06/23/17023121/warga-masih-takut-pengunjung-tempat-wisata-dan-mal-di-bawah-50-persen