The easing of activities during Eid 1443 H/2022 is highly appreciated by the community. Apart from being able to let go of homesickness, the momentum of Eid this time is able to leverage economic growth.
Holidays are always fun, especially Eid holidays. Even though the year 2022 is still a pandemic, the government allows people to go home, so that the Eid holiday feels even sweeter, because it can be spent with friendship and sightseeing in their hometown. Everyone was happy because they could sungkem with their parents and then traveled with their relatives.
Economic stretching also occurs during the Eid holidays. In fact, transactions during this holiday reached 42 trillion rupiah, so that in the 2nd quarter of 2022 there was an increase of 7%. This amount is fantastic because in just a few days, people spend massive amounts of money.
Economic growth of 7% in one quarter is certainly very good because if it happens every quarter, we are optimistic that it will rise again. It could even be better than the situation before the pandemic. When the corona storm hit for two years and then collapsed because the economy was sluggish, then during the Eid holiday, people were already financially healthy and the wheels of the economy were rolling fast.
Chairman of the Association of Travel Bureaus (ASITA) Riau Dede Firmansyah stated that Eid al-Fitr 2022 is a momentum that boosts the volume of traffic flow that drives economic growth. It also has a double impact on the economy and tourism. Automatically boost the welfare of society.
Eid al-Fitr is an important momentum for economic growth and tourism and this is very good because since the beginning of the pandemic the tourism sector has really fallen. The reason is because there was a ban on going out of the house and a ban on visits from abroad, so the number of foreign tourists fell drastically. However, when there is an Eid holiday, tourism will increase again.
Today’s travelers are very concerned about comfort. If they are tired on the trip, they don’t just rest in the rest area, but look for the nearest inn or hotel. After the condition is fit then just continue the journey. Likewise, when they arrived at their homeland, they also chose to sleep in a hotel because it was too narrow to sleep in their parents’ house.
This situation has led to an increase in hotel occupancy which has made hospitality entrepreneurs big profits. They are flooded with guests who are average travelers and reap extraordinary profits. Entrepreneurs are certainly happy because there is no need to close their hotel business, because there are guests who come.
Meanwhile, businessmen of tourist attractions also make big profits because homecomers spend their vacation time in their recreation areas. Tickets are selling well so that tourist attractions are also happy during the Eid holidays. There are no more negative impacts of the pandemic because the business is running smoothly, and it is also safe because it adheres to health protocols.
People do not hesitate to spend their money for homecoming and leisure expenses during the Eid holidays. While they can take a break from the stress of work and are gathering with their extended family, they choose to travel after Eid in touch. Public spending makes the state’s financial condition healthy because the wheels of the economy are rolling very fast.
This year’s Eid al-Fitr took place safely and smoothly, the people were also happy because they could go home. With the momentum of Eid al-Fitr, the trend of national economic recovery is expected to continue.
Alfisyah Dianasari, Author is a contributor to the press circle and a student of cikini
