Govt sets tourism 2005 on China, India, Mideast<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government will target tourists from China, India and the
\nMiddle East to increase revenue from the sector next year and
\nreach its target of six million visitors and US$6 billion in
\nforeign exchange.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik announced
\nrecently that only 80,000 tourists from China visited the country
\nin 2004, a stark difference from the 700,000 visiting Singapore.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Jero said, his office planned to cooperate with the
\nSingapore Tourism Board to make attractive packages that include
\nIndonesia, for example three days in the city-state followed by a
\nweek in the archipelago.<\/p>\n
Another step to be taken is the establishment of an
\nimmigration office in the Indonesian Consulate in Guangzhou
\nfollowing two years of preparation.<\/p>\n
\"The representative office will start issuing visas in
\nFebruary,\" said Jero.<\/p>\n
Another immigration office will be opened in Shanghai, another
\ncity with a high number of globe-trotters. The opening of these
\nrepresentative offices is expected to bring a dramatic increase
\nin arrivals from China.<\/p>\n
To promote Indonesia's beauty to the people in the Middle
\nEast, the tourism office will work with the Ministry of Manpower
\nand Transmigration to distribute brochures in Arabic through
\nmigrant workers.<\/p>\n
\"About 3,000 workers go to the Middle East every month. When
\ntheir employers ask them where they're from, the workers can show
\nthem the brochures,\" said Jero.<\/p>\n
A memorandum of understanding between the two institutions
\nwill be signed later this week.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has experienced difficulty in luring foreigners
\nafter the 2002 bombing on the paradise island of Bali.<\/p>\n
A blast in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in
\nOctober last year proved to be another blow, especially after the
\nUnited States, several European countries and Australia issued
\nrepeated warnings against traveling to the country.<\/p>\n
The number of foreign arrivals in general, however, is
\nincreasing. In the first 10 months of 2004, some 3.8 million
\npeople entered the country through 13 ports, generating
\napproximately $3.9 billion in foreign exchange.<\/p>\n
\"We are optimistic that our targets for the year -- 5.3
\nmillion visitors and $5 billion in forex revenue -- will be
\nreached,\" said Jero.<\/p>\n
As part of the 100-day program of the new administration, the
\ngovernment is also considering revising the controversial
\nvisa-on-arrival policy, in that visa validity may be increased
\nfrom three days to seven days and from 30 days to 60 days. The
\nfee may also be reduced from $35 to $25.<\/p>\n
Jero said that the number of visa-on-arrival counters at
\nBali's Ngurah Rai Airport would be increased from 10 to 22 to
\nprevent long queues, adding that the counters would eventually
\ntotal 30.<\/p>\n
The visa-on-arrival policy was introduced in February last
\nyear and the number of countries whose citizens are eligible was
\ncut from 60 to 21. The government waives visa for tourists from
\nnine other countries -- mostly other members of the Association
\nof Southeast Asian Nations -- on the basis of reciprocity.<\/p>\n
Foreign tourism development in Indonesia<\/p>\n
Year Number of tourists Foreign exchange<\/p>\n
(in million) (in billions of US$)<\/p>\n
1997 5.185 5.321<\/p>\n
1998 4.606 4.331<\/p>\n
1999 4.728 4.710<\/p>\n
2000 5.064 5.741<\/p>\n
2001 5.154 5.411<\/p>\n
2002 5.033 4.496<\/p>\n
2003 4.428 4.000<\/p>\n
2004* 5.300 5.000<\/p>\n
*estimated<\/p>\n
Source: The office of State Minister of Culture and Tourism<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-sets-tourism-2005-on-china-india-mideast-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }