Backpacker's appeal

Backpacker's appeal

With all the apparent positive changes and restructuring
taking place within the Indonesian government, economy and
infrastructure, I think it is time to rethink the nation's
tourism policy.

As an incredibly rich nation in terms of culture, ethnicity,
linguistics and geography, Indonesia is a very attractive country
to explore. However, with the current political and civil unrest
within Indonesia, you can no longer rely on the rich, short-term,
tour package vacationer. The majority of foreign travelers in
your beautiful country are potential long-term backpackers on
tight budgets. Unfortunately, these travelers who bring in a
significant amount of foreign income into the Indonesian economy
are kicked out of your country by what appears to be an outdated
and unwarranted immigration policy.

Because no ordinary visitor to Indonesia can stay longer than
two months, many potential long-term travelers simply move on
rather than bother with the hassle and expense of leaving and
returning to renew their visa. Two months is simply not enough
time to explore even a fraction of this land. For those
enthusiastic travelers to Indonesia who really want to explore
this country it becomes a real problem. I know many backpackers
like myself who are on a fixed budget, and every time we have to
leave Indonesia, we spend money in another country that we would
have spent here. I am sure that the government is aware of how
much money it loses to tourist mismanagement.

Although it is true that backpackers (long-term travelers)
spend only a fraction of the money that the rich, short-term
tourist spends in the same amount of time, the backpacker stays
significantly longer and therefore spends more money. Moreover,
they typically distribute their money throughout the country.
Therefore, more marginalized economies gain from long-term
tourism while places like Bali, Yogyakarta, Toba, Toraja and
Lombok still profit from short-term package tours.

Many travelers like myself would much rather pay money for a
visa extension than spend money abroad. This money would be
pumped directly into your economy. So not only does the
Indonesian government lose money it could be gaining from visa
revenue, but the national economy also suffers when tourists take
their money elsewhere. With the economic crisis in Indonesia, it
is increasingly important for the government to rethink its
approach to tourism for the good of the entire nation.

FINN MACKESY

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara