The Ubud Hotels Association (UHA) welcomed the recovery of Bali tourism by carrying out social care activities enthusiastically and full of togetherness. The movement of foreign airlines carrying passengers from various countries provides new hope for hotel operators who are members of the tourism organization. “This activity is a form of gratitude for the return of tourism in Bali and Ubud in particular. We want to increase the enthusiasm of tourism people to welcome tourism which is slowly recovering,” said Chairman of the Committee, Ketut Wijana, on the sidelines of cleaning up plastic waste on Saturday (Apr 23).

Today’s activity is in the form of Ubud Clean Up carried out through a leisurely walk filled with picking up plastic waste, so that the Ubud area, having been a prime destination, becomes cleaner and more beautiful to welcome tourists. The social action this time was accompanied by blood donation. “Hopefully, this activity will trigger the awareness of people of Ubud and all stakeholders involved in the tourism sector to keep Ubud as the prominent tourism area in Bali, so that domestic tourists and foreign tourists will never get bored of going to Ubud,” hoped the man who works in the Pitamaha Group.

UHA Chairman, Gede Ngurah Dewantara Narottama, stated that Ubud is an icon of Bali, so that it must be kept clean and comfortable. The unsightly plastic waste must be disposed of in its place. As a tourism player, he firmly believed that cleanliness is the most important thing so that Ubud can be even more attractive. On that account, the plastic waste clean-up activity will be held regularly. “UHA is very proud to protect Ubud because this is the source of our tourism. So, initially 90 people confirmed to take part in the clean-up activities, but now there are more than 300 people involved. Thus, the clean-up route is divided into two so that it is more productive,” he affirmed.

The UHA member amounts to 101 properties, but this activity is also supported by the Ubud Tourism Development Foundation, Youth Club of Padang Tegal Village, Ubud, so that they managed to pick up one truck of garbage. That’s because some areas still have plastic waste scattered around. “This is our way of welcoming the rise of tourism in Bali. Honestly, since the opening of the international border and the start of the movement of foreign airlines landing at Ngurah Rai Airport, hotel occupancy has started to grow, so that in May and July the occupancy may reach 60 percent. This means readiness for recalling the former staff and rebranding again by being reminded through marketing and accounting training,” he said.

To welcome foreign tourists back, the most important thing to do is mental readiness for two years of dormant condition. Through these clean-up and leisurely walks activities, it is hoped that they will be able to meet friends as well as exercise to build their mental health. “We welcome the government’s policy that provides concessions for Overseas Travelers (PPLN) with full readiness, such as improving services, and nearly 80 percent of members have been certified for Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE). The rest are still preparing to reopen,” he said.

This General Manager of Santi Mandala Resort & Spa emphasized that overseas tourist visits to Bali have started, so that hotel occupancy under the UHA during May reaches an average of 30 to 40 percent. The projection of room occupancy is still imbalanced because there are hotels remaining unopened yet. “We hope that in May, July and August will be even higher as long as there are no more policy changes,” he hoped. (BTN/015)