Indonesia's controversial visa policy - Calculated move or
\nunnecessary blunder<\/p>\n
Joe L. Spartz
\nBusiness Consultant
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Many had hoped that Indonesia's restrictive new tourist visa
\npolicy would be relegated to the back-burner and discreetly
\nforgotten. However, inspite of deep concerns and well-founded
\nmisgivings voiced by the country's long-suffering tourism and
\nhospitality industry, the government nevertheless decided to
\nproceed with its fateful and highly controversial new visa policy
\non Feb. 1, 2004<\/p>\n
Official reasons and justifications for a more restrictive
\nvisa policy included security concerns, reciprocal extension of
\nvisa facilities as well as raising funds for the government's
\nantiterrorism campaign.<\/p>\n
Under the new system, free visa-on-arrival facilities would
\nonly be maintained for a number of countries such as Singapore,
\nMalaysia, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Macao
\nas well as Chile, Peru and Morocco.<\/p>\n
Tourist visa-on-arrival facilities, albeit subject to a US$25
\nvisa fee for a 30-day visit, are to be offered to a second
\ncategory of countries including the United States, Canada,
\nAustralia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy,
\nDenmark, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Argentina,
\nBrazil, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and
\nSouth Africa.<\/p>\n
Rationale and criteria used for the selection of countries
\nenjoying \"pay-visa-on arrival\" facilities however are not clear
\nand can only be described as illogical or outright
\ndiscriminatory!<\/p>\n
How else could it be explained that visitors from 9 out of 15
\nEuropean Union member states (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg,
\nAustria, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden and Greece) along with
\nall other countries would be excluded from \"pay-visa-on-arrival\"
\nfacilities and need to be in possession of regular tourist visas
\nissued by Indonesian embassies abroad prior to their departure.<\/p>\n
The existing \"visa-on-arrival\" policy worked perfectly well in
\nthe past and greatly contributed to tourist arrivals totaling
\nfive million in 2001.<\/p>\n
As a result of SARS, terrorist bombings and other security
\nconcerns tourist arrivals in 2003 decreased to only 3.8 million.<\/p>\n
Recent surveys carried out by PATA and Casa Grande however
\npredict that tourist arrivals may decrease by another 20 percent
\nor more as a direct result of the government's new visa policy
\nwhereas at the same time, the Ministry of Tourism substantially
\nincreased its 2004 advertising budget for precisely the opposite
\nreason!<\/p>\n
If past history is anything to go by, time-consuming and
\ncumbersome visa processing procedures at Indonesian embassies
\nabroad will be a boon for middle-men and other \"facilitation fee\"
\noperators.<\/p>\n
In many instances, embassy staff can hardly be expected to
\ncope with an avalanche of tourist visa applications and as
\nhappened frequently in the past, travel agencies will have to
\nresort to brokers in order to speed up visa processing time.<\/p>\n
A Belgian friend of mine living in Paris for instance was
\nrecently quoted no less than 120 Euros by a broker for a tourist
\nvisa to be issued within one week.<\/p>\n
Faced with \"invisible\" visa expenses and bureaucratic red
\ntape, many would-be visitors are sure to feel less than welcome
\nin Indonesia and opt for hassle-free tourist destinations such as
\nMalaysia or Thailand instead.<\/p>\n
Incoming international flights at Soekarno-Hatta are to be
\nprocessed through three separate immigration lanes and time
\nneeded for \"pay-on-arrival-visa\" handling is estimated at up to
\nfive minutes or more per visitor.<\/p>\n
Theoretically, this could mean several hours queuing time for
\nunlucky tourists from Germany or France which, after a long
\nflight is not the best way to promote Indonesia as a preferred
\ntourist destination!<\/p>\n
Other reasons and justifications as professed by the
\ngovernment for tampering with its present visa policy are either
\nunconvincing or doubtful in the extreme.<\/p>\n
Security checks or monitoring of incoming foreigners are best
\ncarried on the spot and face-to-face upon arrival by properly
\ntrained personnel.<\/p>\n
Reasons for reciprocal \"free-visa-on-arrival\" facilities are
\nequally unrealistic.<\/p>\n
Developed countries already facing serious illegal immigration
\nproblems cannot be reasonably expected to selectively offer free
\nvisa-on-arrival facilities to Indonesian visitors for the sole
\npurpose of easing entry requirements of their own nationals
\nvisiting Indonesia.<\/p>\n
As far as the professed aim to generate additional visa
\nrevenues are concerned, a simple cost-versus-benefit calculation
\nwould easily establish the opposite!<\/p>\n
Even with additional visa revenues of $100 million, potential
\ndamages to the countries tourism and hospitality industry could
\npossibly amount to between five and ten times that amount.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, visa issuance and fee collection would inevitably
\nresult in additional administrative costs and expenses not to
\nmention possible leakages or mishandling of fees collected.<\/p>\n
The imposition visa-on-arrival fees would be perfectly
\nacceptable since foreign embassies in Jakarta are already
\ncharging Indonesian applicants visa processing fees in the first
\nplace.<\/p>\n
All things considered, a more sensible solution would be to
\nentrust international airlines with the collection of visa fees
\nfrom passengers concerned at the time and place of their
\nembarkation for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Last but not least, bonafide tourists should be allowed to
\nextend their stay beyond the new 30-day limit.<\/p>\n
Inspite of its set-backs, Indonesia's tourist business remains
\nan important mainstay of the country's economy and rather than a
\nshot in the arm, the government's ill-advised new visa policy is
\nmore likely to be a shot in its back!<\/p>\n
As happened with the introduction of Jakarta's new busway
\nsystem, mayhem and confusion are expected to reign supreme at
\nSoekarno-Hatta on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n
The full impact of the new visa policy remains to be seen and
\nonly time will tell whether or not an unnecessary blunder has
\nbeen committed.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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