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amount of foreign income into the Indonesian economy are kicked out of your country by what appears to be an outdated and unwarranted immigration policy.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