TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia AirAsia has added a new international route by inaugurating the Denpasar, Bali-Phuket, Thailand route. The inaugural flight of the route connecting the two iconic tourist destinations in Southeast Asia was on Saturday, August 10, 2024.

"This flight is the sixth Indonesia AirAsia international route operating from the Denpasar hub and the fourth international route inaugurated this year," said President Director of Indonesia AirAsia, Veranita Yosephine Sinaga in a written statement, on Sunday, August 11, 2024.

With this new route, said Veranita, Indonesia AirAsia is further strengthening its position in the ASEAN aviation market. Bali, an Indonesian tourist destination known for its natural beauty and distinctive culture, is like Phuket in Thailand, which is also a favorite for tourists to enjoy a tropical vacation.

"We want to provide a unique experience for travelers to enjoy two destinations that have similar attractions with different cultures," she said.

Phuket, Thailand. (Photo: Unsplash.com/Juliia Abramova)

Focusing on Opening International Routes

Indonesia AirAsia is now focusing on opening international routes and will begin operations in August this year. These routes will connect to ASEAN countries such as Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia.

"Therefore, through the inauguration of this flight, we hope to get positive support from the community, business people and relevant authorities to realize our common plan to boost Indonesia's tourism and economy through foreign tourist visits and expansion of connectivity, especially around Asia," Veranita added.

The inaugural flight QZ 246 flew from Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport at 16:00 WITA (Central Indonesian Time) carrying 161 passengers and arrived at Phuket International Airport at 18:40 local time.

The inauguration was also symbolically carried out by hitting the gamelan, a Balinese musical instrument and distributing merchandise to all passengers. Indonesia AirAsia serves this route with a frequency of 3 times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Thai Tourists in Indonesia

Although Bali is one of the favorite holiday destinations for foreign tourists, Indonesia still has so many interesting destinations for Thai people to visit such as the world-famous Labuan Bajo (Komodo Island) - home to Komodo, Tanjung Setia Surf Beach in Lampung, enjoying the beauty of the world's largest volcanic lake in Lake Toba, North Sumatra and the New Capital City of Indonesia, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan.

A janitor cleans the courtyard of a room at the Loccal Collection Hotel, Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. The Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture Office of West Manggarai Regency stated that hotel occupancy during the 42nd ASEAN Summit reached 100 percent. (ANTARA FOTO/Aprillio Akbar)

On the other hand, tourists from Bali can also enjoy the beauty of Phuket Island by visiting Phuket Old Town, Banana Beach, Koh Hey, Hanuman World Phuket, Carnival Magic and the Big Buddha Temple as well as beaches that offer views of the clear blue sea and white sand beaches.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, foreign tourists from Thailand have increased quite significantly. In 2023, the number of foreign tourists from Thailand increased by 82.88 percent or 111,786 visits, compared to 2022 which only reached 61,128 visits. Meanwhile, until March 2024, hotel revenue in Bali also increased with the occupancy rate of starred hotel rooms reaching 52.71 percent, which is an increase of 12.70 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

JONIANSYAH

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