Asita: Travel Agent Involved in Indonesian Tourist Absconding in South Korea Not a Member
The Indonesian Tour and Travel Association (Asita) has revealed that the travel agent involved in a case where an Indonesian citizen from Madiun, East Java, absconded during a tour in South Korea is not a member of the association.
“We at Asita certainly express our concern over this incident. We have confirmed that the travel organiser is not a member of Asita,” said Asita Chairperson Dr. N. Rusmiati, M.Si.M.H, when contacted in Jakarta on Monday.
Rusmiati stressed that although the organiser is not part of the association, such an incident still impacts the overall image of Indonesian Travel Bureaus (BPW). “This is certainly a shared concern, because in principle, the travel organiser has attempted to carry out its duties properly,” she said.
On the other hand, Rusmiati emphasised that this incident serves as an important lesson for all players in the travel industry to continuously strengthen operational standards, particularly in supervising participants during trips. “Therefore, we see the need for strengthened coordination and mutual understanding between travel agents, tour participants, and relevant authorities, so that in the future we can minimise similar incidents while providing better protection for all parties,” Rusmiati added.
Previously, news of an Indonesian citizen with the initial F from Madiun, East Java, who allegedly absconded during a tour in South Korea, came under public scrutiny after an account named @sarjanabackpacker shared the story on the social media platform Threads. The account stated there were no suspicious signs from F that day. Subsequently, the travel agent contacted the relevant authorities handling the matter in South Korea. A representative of the travel agent also visited F’s family, but to no avail. “We are not angry because we lost one participant. We are angry because one person’s decision could make hundreds of future participants victims,” they said. As of now, there is no further news regarding F’s whereabouts.