25/06/2020
HOT NEWS - we work and surf again!
On 24 June 2020, West Sumatera Surf Charter Boats Association (AKSSB) innovated for the first time to support the program of West Sumatera government to open and encourage the operation of the tourism sector by escorting Foreign Surfing guests to Mentawai.
The surfing trip onboard a Surf Charter Boat “SWITCHFOOT” will bring back Foreign Surfing Tourists to Mentawai for around 12 days by following the New Normal Health Protocol initiated by AKSSB by referring to governmental health rules.
Aim Zein, Chairman of AKSSB, interviewed onboard Switchfoot Boat said that this surf charter boat tourism protocol was designed in such a way so all parties felt the benefit of CSH (Clean, Safety, and Healthy) principles. The key to this protocol is that every Foreign Surfing Tourist was required to undergo PCR Test. Sampling is collected onboard to all passengers and boat crews (ABK). Then, while waiting for the test results, ABK and Foreign Tourists are prohibited from getting off the boat to minimize contact with other people. The boat can only depart when the results are completed and indicate that all people are Negative COVID. Likewise, when the boat has sailed to Mentawai, all of the Foreign Tourists are prohibited from getting off the boat and interacting with local people, and so forth until it returns to Padang with the same process. The interesting point here is that the Surf Charter Boat becomes a fully isolated place so it is 100% safe since there is no contact with “Covid Carrier” or other infected people at sea.
The PCR test is conducted independently by AKSSB under collaboration with the Central Laboratory of Infectious Disease Diagnostics and Research of Faculty of Medicine of Andalas University.
Not only ABK and passengers are examined, but the boat is also examined and cleaned carefully by the Disinfectant Team of West Sumatera-Chapter Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). The boat is sprayed and cleaned with disinfectant before departure and arrival to maintain and guarantee its cleanliness.
Jason, an Australian national and owner of Switchfoot boat, is quite happy with the policy of West Sumatera government to reopen tourism, especially surfing. Both Jason and Aim Zein from AKSSB are quite thankful to all parties which support and encourage this, especially West Sumatera governor, KSOP (Harbormaster), Department of Tourism, and Department of Health of West Sumatera, GM Angkasa Pura, and Mentawai government. This Surf Charter Boat Tourism Protocol was discussed previously by existing stakeholders.
Aim and all AKSSB members expected that the reopening of this surfing tourism by following New Normal protocol would re-motivate the economy since surfing tourism in Mentawai, West Sumatera was highly anticipated by global surfers. If these initial surfing trips run well, it is expected to be a promotion and motivate the surfers’ countries of origin to immediately end travel bans for their citizens to visit Indonesia.
