JAKARTA - The cancellation of the departure of pilgrims from Indonesia has no significant impact on the business of service providers for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. The news that Saudi Arabia will issue a quota of 60 thousand pilgrims in 2021 has become an opportunity and fresh air for companies in this sector, such as PT Arsy Buana Travelindo (ABT).
"This is considering that in 2020, the number of hajj quotas issued by Saudi Arabia is only 10 thousand people for the whole world," said ABT President Director, Saipul Bahri in a written statement in Jakarta, Tuesday (8/6/2021). ABT is one of the service providers business players for Umrah Travel Organizers (PPIU) and Special Hajj Organizers (PIHK). ABT's business includes lodging services (hotels), airline tickets, and land arrangements (LA) for all Hajj and Umrah needs in the Holy Land, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
He ensured that the hotels managed by ABT were ready to serve Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from various countries, not only Indonesia. That means, the increase in the hajj quota this year will be a breath of fresh air for the accommodation managed by ABT.
Currently, ABT has several hotel rooms in Mecca and Medina which are located in strategic locations, the total available rooms currently reach 889 per month.
Saipul stated, Saudi Arabia has made an independent information technology system and hotel accommodation reservation that is connected to the Ministry of Hajj to support both Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages, and hotels managed by ABT are connected to the Fajr Bade Group system, for example. Thus, the ABT hotel can actually accommodate pilgrims for this year. Moreover, he said, hotels managed by ABT, such as Fajr Badee, have implemented health protocols that are standardized by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health. "It should be underlined, until now, Mecca has not been closed. In this year's Ramadan, Umrah is still permitted. So, the service provider business like ABT is actually still running,” he said.
Saipul added that the Umrah pilgrimage after the hajj season is still open by Saudi Arabia. In fact, there is the potential for Umrah pilgrims from Indonesia to go to the Holy Land. This will be decided by the Government of Saudi Arabia. If this happens, the business market as a service provider for Umrah or Hajj travel providers will be more open.
In the long term, he said, the hajj and umrah service provider business has great potential, along with Indonesia's position as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, then the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination has also been massive, so the prospects for this sector are getting brighter, along with Saudi Arabia's plan to increase the number of the quota for Umrah pilgrims from 8 million to 30 million per year in 2030. (*)
