Tourism and transport companies have seen a huge increase in demand around Idul Fitri this month as the government finally cleared the season mudik (exodus) for the first time in two years.

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Ministry of Transport, the easing of curbs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in mobility which has seen city dwellers move in droves to spend their money in other parts of the archipelago.

The term mudik is a portmanteau derived from the Javanese words mulih dilik (briefly at home) and reflects a fusion of Indonesian and Islamic tradition, where people with roots in remote parts of the country leave the towns where they work to return to their hometowns or villages to celebrate Idul Fitri.