Tourist numbers to dip amid scary media reports: Govt<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government projected yesterday the country's
\nforeign tourist arrivals may fall 5 percent this year over 1997's
\nnumber due to the battery of negative foreign media reports.<\/p>\n
Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Marzuki Usman said the
\ndecline -- from 5.2 million to 4.9 million -- would result in an
\n8 percent drop in foreign exchange revenues from the tourism
\nsector this year to US$4.97 billion from $6.6 billion in 1997.<\/p>\n
He said negative overseas reports on Indonesia's political and
\nsocial situation were to blame.<\/p>\n
\"People are afraid to come to Indonesia now, and many airlines
\nhave reduced their flight frequency to here due to the negative
\nreports on Indonesia,\" Marzuki said in a hearing with the House
\nof Representatives Commission IV for public works,
\ntransportation, communications and public housing.<\/p>\n
To many tourist analysts, Marzuki's estimate may appear overly
\noptimistic, considering that foreign tourists are still
\napprehensive about visiting Indonesia because of perceived
\npolitical instability. Their major worry appears to be that the
\nantigovernment protests held almost daily in the country's major
\ncities could descend into violence.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (BPPI),
\nPontjo Sutowo, said earlier political instability remained the
\nbiggest worry for tourists considering a visit to the country.<\/p>\n
The board predicted tourist arrivals might drop by 50 percent
\nover last year's figure if the current political and social
\nsituation persists.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the country needed to patch up its tarnished
\nimage before it could promote tourism again.<\/p>\n
\"Our top priority is to restore our image as one of the most
\nbeautiful places to visit and this effort will need a lot of
\npromotion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, DPA news agency reported that Indonesia's weakening
\ncurrency appears to have greatly increased its drawing power as
\none of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
The report said tourist arrivals from Singapore -- a popular
\njumping-off point to the Indonesian archipelago -- quadrupled
\nlast year over 1996.<\/p>\n
Some five million air and sea trips were made from Singapore
\nto Indonesia in 1997, compared with 1.3 million a year earlier.<\/p>\n
The figures include Singaporeans, along with expatriates and
\ntourists traveling through the region. With the huge increase,
\nIndonesia has nudged Malaysia out of its longtime position in
\nfirst place for visitor arrivals from Singapore.<\/p>\n
After Indonesia, Malaysia was the second most popular
\ndestination, with 3.5 million visits. Thailand came in third,
\nwith 492,000 visits.<\/p>\n
Marzuki also stated yesterday that the government would not
\nabolish the government-sponsored BPPI because it was still needed
\nto promote Indonesian tourism.<\/p>\n
The board, designated to handle tourist promotional
\nactivities, is burdened with about $21.5 million in debts.
\nTourist associations and several provinces have urged the
\ngovernment to dissolve the board, claiming it has been
\nineffective in raising their profile.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that his ministry was auditing BPPI's unpaid
\ndebts and planned to pay them if the funds were determined to
\nhave been used for Indonesia tourist promotion activities.<\/p>\n
Also at the hearing, Director General of Tourism Andi
\nMappisammeng said the ministry was trying to cut levies on the
\nhotel industry.<\/p>\n
\"We will eliminate some levies and charges, which have been
\nresponsible for high costs in the industry. The move will also
\nhelp the ailing hotel industry,\" he told reporters after the
\nhearing.<\/p>\n
Hotels are burdened with high costs for facilities and levies
\nsuch as property taxes, plus several levies imposed by the local
\nadministrations. They have contributed to make them less
\ncompetitive than hotels in other countries. (gis)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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