Foreign arrivals hit 6-year high

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta

Foreign arrivals in the country hit a six-year high of 1.03 million in the first quarter of this year despite the introduction of a stricter immigration policy and security concerns due to the general election.

Slamet Mukeno, deputy chief of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), said foreign tourist arrivals from January to March of this year increased 20.61 percent from 857,533 people in the first quarter of last year.

"The introduction of the visa on arrival in May has not dampened their interest in coming to Indonesia. Maybe they don't consider the procedure too complicated," Slamet said on Tuesday.

The government came under fire for introducing the visa on arrival for citizens of a number of countries, for which they are charged US$25 and given only 30 days in the country. Previously tourists were given a 60-day entry permit at no cost.

Critics said it would hurt the tourist industry, which is still trying to overcome the devastating impact of the Bali bombing in 2002, the SARS epidemic and the JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta last year.

According to Presidential Decree No. 103/2003 dated Dec. 17, 2003, citizens from 11 countries are eligible for the visa-free facility. Previously it was extended to citizens from 48 countries.

Foreign arrivals in the first quarter of this year is the highest in six years. Since 1998 to 2003, foreign arrivals in the first quarter never reached one million. It only reached 992,020 in 2002 before plunging to 857,533 in 2003.

The government is optimistic that it will meet its five million target for foreign arrivals this year.

The relatively peaceful election campaign in March also contributed to the sharp increase in first quarter tourist arrivals, Slamet said.

Thirteen main gateways recorded 354,291 foreign arrivals in March, a 10.17 percent increase from February's 321,576. Foreign arrivals in March this year was up 22.84 percent from the same period last year, BPS reported.

Bali, the country's most popular tourist destination, also saw a significant increase in foreign arrivals. In March, 104,400 foreigners visited the island, a 16.92 percent increase from February's 89,300.

Average length of stay in star-rated hotels only increased slightly to 2.09 days in February, a 0.05 percent increase from January's 2.04 days.