IN the beginning, Abbey Tour was always full of activity. Every year, they joined the MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur, proudly carrying their own name and promoting Bali’s hotels to the international market. Abbey was the only agency granted a special license to use its own brand—a badge of honor they held with pride.
But in early 2020, the world changed. The Covid-19 pandemic brought everything to a standstill. Airports closed, tourism halted, and one by one, travel agencies shut down.
Many friends and colleagues decided to give up, closing their offices for good. But Abbey Tour chose a different path.
“If we closed the office, then everything would be over,” recalled Dudy.
So they improvised, opening J&T courier services just to keep the doors open—so that the Abbey flag would not fall.
For the first six months, there were still a few ticket bookings, since Jakarta’s airport remained open. But the storm dragged on. Salaries were cut in half, and 16 employees had to be laid off. Only four remained. Gasping for breath, Abbey kept moving forward, though each step grew heavier.
Still, there was one thing Dudy never did: close the office. “This office is a symbol of hope. If the doors are still open, it means we’re still alive,” he said.
For three long years of uncertainty, Abbey Tour Bali kept its flame alive, even if it was only a flicker.
Then, in 2022, light finally broke through. Ticket demand—especially for umrah and hajj—skyrocketed. After two years of waiting, pilgrims were willing to pay any price just to go. That year became Abbey Tour’s golden year, a revival after years of hardship.
Some of the laid-off employees were called back. Yet in the aftermath of the pandemic, the company made a bold decision: to close its branches in Jakarta, Surabaya, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Only Bali remained.
All because of Dudy’s conviction:
“Abbey has a big name, and it holds an International Air Transport Association (IATA) license—a valuable asset not every agency has. That’s something we must never let go.”
Today, behind the Abbey Tour Bali signboard lies a story of courage, resilience, and belief. A story of four people who refused to surrender. Of an office that stood tall amid the storm. And of a determination to keep the name alive. Abbey Tour is more than just a travel agency. It is proof that survival, too, is a journey.**
Writer: Karolina, Editor: Igo Kleden
