Souvenir Sellers in Yogyakarta are Ordered not to Serve Unscreened Tourists

TheIndonesia.co - Yogyakarta Municipal Government asked souvenir vendors to refuse service to ‘unscreened’ tourists. Sellers must always ask for proof of vaccination or health cards for visitors.

The local government also enforces a one-gate system scheme which requires tour buses to enter the area through the Giwangan terminal. These steps are taken to prevent the COVID-19 case surge ahead of the year-end holidays.

Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta Heroe Poerwadi explained that after tour buses enter the bus terminal and undergo COVID-19 checking by officials, they will be given a sticker, which is required for inter-region trips.

“I’ve maintained coordination with souvenir vendors and ask them to reject buses that don’t enter Yogyakarta through Giwangan,” Poerwadi said on Friday, December 3, as reported by Suara.com.

The city official said souvenir centers often become the place for tour buses to unload passengers that haven’t undergone screening and checking. The local government has asked every stakeholder within the tourism industry to always strictly implement health protocols and apply travel regulations to avoid COVID-19 cases from increasing.

Meanwhile, Sumiyati, chairwoman of Bakpia Sumekar Cooperative whose members are makers and sellers of local cuisine bakpia, said it will be quite tricky to ensure everyone committed to refuse service to unscreened tourists because not all vendors are part of the sellers' community.

She added that the tourism sector has slowly been revived in Yogyakarta and that tourists have been flocking souvenir centers. However, she admitted she doesn’t know whether all tour buses entered the region through the Giwangan terminal.