Visas for tourists<\/p>\n
The government would gain virtually nothing by sharply cutting
\nthe number of countries entitled to Indonesia's free visa-on-
\nentry policy. Such a bold measure would instead further hurt the
\ntourism industry which has been debilitated by security problems
\nin several provinces.<\/p>\n
Marketing Indonesia as a viable tourist destination now is
\nalready an uphill task as the country is still reeling from the
\nexcesses of its transition from an authoritarian rule to a
\ndemocratic one and from a centralized government to regional
\nautonomy.<\/p>\n
Adding insult to injury, the steady stream of bad news in
\ndomestic and international mass media about security problems in
\nAceh, Maluku and Central Sulawesi and international allegations
\nthat the country is hospitable to terrorist elements have
\nprojected Indonesia as an unsafe destination for travelers.<\/p>\n
True, as Immigration Director General Imam Santoso said, a
\nnumber of visitors, including narcotics traffickers, had abused
\nthe free visas to conduct business or work illegally.<\/p>\n
Anywhere in the world, such a courtesy always faces the risk
\nof being abused. The question now is whether the risk is already
\nso big and entirely unmanageable that it immediately requires
\nsuch a drastic, sweeping measure.<\/p>\n
Limiting the visa-free facility to countries on a reciprocal
\nbasis would not help much in preventing drug dealers from
\nentering Indonesia. Networking with anti-narcotics commissions
\noverseas and exchanging intelligence information with them have
\nbeen and are still the most effective ways of combating drug
\ntrafficking.<\/p>\n
Likewise, the benefits that could be gained from minimizing
\nthe abuse of tourist visas for those who illegally work in the
\ncountry would be rather negligible compared to the damages to the
\ntourism industry that a severely restrictive visa policy would
\ninflict.<\/p>\n
Had it not been for the bad image Indonesia acquired soon
\nafter the 1997 economic crisis and the 1998 political turbulence,
\nthe country would now be a paradise for foreign travelers thanks
\nto the rock-bottom costs of local goods and services that were
\nbrought about by the 70 percent loss the rupiah has suffered in
\nits value against the American dollar.<\/p>\n
The wide variety of tourist attractions that the world's
\nlargest archipelago country can offer is an advantage to woo
\nrevisits.<\/p>\n
As a resource-based industry, tourism is also one of the most
\nsuitable businesses Indonesia should develop because of its
\nmultiplier effect and the labor-intensive nature of its
\noperations. Travel-related businesses such as hotels,
\nrestaurants, transportation, handicraft and cultural shows are
\nall labor intensive, just the kind of enterprises needed to
\nabsorb the huge pool of job seekers.<\/p>\n
There are perhaps some merits in the government's plan to
\nshorten the duration of the free visas for tourists from 60 days
\nnow to 30 days because well-heeled, big-spending travelers that
\nthe country wants to attract do not generally need such a lengthy
\nstay anyway.<\/p>\n
However, severely reducing the number of countries eligible to
\nfor free visas -- currently 48 -- and limiting the facility only
\nto countries on a reciprocal basis would only inflict more damage
\nto our tourism industry because that policy would force tourists
\nfrom our biggest markets to grapple with the arduous procedure
\nfor obtaining visas.<\/p>\n
It is worth reminding those in power, that the immigration
\nservice is a vital component of the gateway to Indonesia.
\nImmigration officials are the first people that foreign visitors
\ndeal with, and we should magnanimously acknowledge that our civil
\nservants are not among the most efficient in the world.<\/p>\n
The blunt fact is we need foreign tourists with their hard
\ncurrency much more than they need us, and our country is not the
\nonly exotic tourist destination in this part of the world. Just
\nwitness how miserably low have been the occupancy rates of our
\nhotels.<\/p>\n
If a country like Indonesia, still beset with so many
\nproblems, made things more difficult for travelers, they would
\nsimply choose other destinations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/visas-for-tourists-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}