The rising cost of ferry tickets between Tanjungpinang and Singapore is hindering Singaporean tourists from venturing into the Kepri province.
Tanjungpinang, a popular tourist destination in the Kepri province, has historically been frequented by Singaporean tourists. However, recent hikes in ferry ticket prices have deterred these visits.
The current return ferry ticket price for the Tanjungpinang-Singapore route stands nearly at IDR 1 million per person, a significant leap from the pre-pandemic price of IDR 480,000.
Rudy Chua, a member of the Kepri Provincial DPRD, expressed concerns over the decreased number of Singaporean visitors, stating that while 100,000 visited last year, this year has seen a dramatic slump.
Chua has previously addressed this issue with Kepri’s Governor, Ansar Ahmad. However, local authorities don’t possess the jurisdiction to intervene in international ferry route pricing.
Efforts by local authorities to improve tourism attractions could be in vain due to the prohibitive ferry ticket prices.
Currently, Tanjungpinang is mainly favored by domestic tourists from regions like Jakarta, Medan, and Pekan Baru, who tend to visit and stay in the Bintan District.
The escalated ferry ticket prices not only impact Singaporean tourists but also send a cautionary signal to other international visitors. A potential long-term effect could be a shift in tourist demographics and a subsequent economic impact on the region.
Rising ferry ticket prices post-pandemic between Tanjungpinang and Singapore are discouraging Singaporean tourists from visiting the Kepri region. With numbers dwindling, there are growing calls for effective solutions to rejuvenate the tourism sector and cater to the once-thriving Singaporean market.
