Visitors still enjoying tourist sites

Massive waves failed to discourage tourists in Yogyakarta and Bali from flocking to popular beaches Saturday.The long weekend has contributed to an increased number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting Bandung, Bali and Yogyakarta. In Bali, thousands of tourists visited popular Kuta beach trying to get a glance at the giant waves, forcing Water Tourism Safety Agency workers to repeatedly request people to remain a safe distance from the water, Antara news agency reported.

The giant waves caused widespread panic among tourists relaxing on the island's beaches Friday, and destroyed small houses on the Kedongan and Jimbaran beaches.

Austrian tourist Manfred Jelovcan was continuing his holiday at Parangtritis beach in Yogyakarta despite reports of massive waves devastating southern coastal areas in Java, Bali and Sumatra. ""We love the sea so we take every chance we have to go to Parangtritis beach,"" Jelovcan, who lives in Semarang, said Saturday.

On Saturday more than 800 people flocked to Parangtritis beach, a large jump from the average of 500 visitors. However, according to Hadi, a ticket seller at the beach, there were not as many visitors as during other public holidays.

""If there had not been reports of massive waves, the number of visitors might have increased by four times the usual number. These massive waves are an annual phenomenon and there is no need for such fear,"" he said Saturday.

Meanwhile, due to the public holiday, most hotels in Yogyakarta are fully booked.

Melia Purosani hotel's public relations officer, Diyah Fatmawati, said 250 of the hotel's 280 rooms were in use, with the remaining rooms still being repaired following the May 27 earthquake last year.

""All of the 250 rooms were fully booked from Thursday until Sunday,"" she said.

Hyatt Yogyakarta hotel was also experiencing steady business due to the long weekend. A member of the hotel's marketing team, Christoporus Yunanto, said the hotel's 260 rooms were fully booked, with 60 percent of the guests being domestic visitors and 40 percent foreign visitors.

""Yogyakarta's tourism industry has now recovered and many foreign visitors, such as Malaysians, are spending their holidays here,"" he said.

The operator of Saptapari travel agency, Fauzan, said Yogyakarta has become a popular place to hold business meetings and family gatherings.

He said the massive waves had not affected tourism in Yogyakarta. ""Yogyakarta is immune to such things. A month after the earthquake last year and Mount Merapi's eruption, tourists started returning here. As long as there are no security or terrorism issues, people will continue to visit Yogyakarta,"" Fauzan said.

The long weekend has also resulted in train company PT Kereta Api Indonesia having an increase in business. With many tourists returning to Jakarta from Yogyakarta, all tickets for economy and executive trains are sold out until Sunday.

In Bandung, hundreds of hotel rooms were booked by guests who reserved rooms well in advance.

""Three-star hotels in our company have been fully booked since Thursday and most guests are staying until Sunday,"" Dadang, a member of the management team at a popular hotel, told Antara on Saturday, adding that most guests were visiting from Jakarta.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Yogyakarta