Foreign tourist arrivals jumps 4.3 percent

JAKARTA (JP): Foreign tourists to Indonesia rose 4.3 percent to 302,490 in January from the corresponding month last year, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave said yesterday.

The minister said the growth rate was higher than the 1.6 percent recorded in January 1996.

The figure counted all foreign visitors entering Indonesia through seven major entry points.

The entry points were Entikong, the Indonesia-Malaysia border crossing in West Kalimantan, and airports in Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Batam, Surabaya and Manado, Joop said after attending a signing ceremony between state-owned PT Telkom and Merpati Nusantara Airlines at his office.

He said 290,009 foreign tourists visited Indonesia in January 1996 through the seven gateways.

"I think there has been just a small impact from the riots that happened recently in Indonesia," Joop said.

He said foreigners were more cautious on health issues when visiting Asia.

But travel and hotel executives believe people will not visit any place if there is unrest unless they have a reason.

Despite last year's riots that rocked Jakarta in July, Situbondo, East Java in October and Tasikmalaya, West Java in December, tourist numbers grew 17 percent to 5 million, bringing in US$5.13 billion in foreign exchange, up 17 percent on the previous year.

More riots rocked Rengasdengklok, Bandung, West Java and Pontianak, West Kalimantan recently.

Tensions remain high in Pontianak, forcing Malaysia to close temporarily its border with Indonesia. Analysts fear that violence might flare up until the general elections in May.

Director General of Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng said growth rates in 1996, in terms of international tourists and foreign exchange earnings, were higher than the predicted figure which was between 11 percent and 13 percent. "We expect the growth rates this year to reach at least 13 percent."

The country expects to earn between $7.2 billion and $7.8 billion from 5.3 million to 5.7 million foreign tourists this year.

Meanwhile Merpati air, a subsidiary of national air carrier Garuda Indonesia, launched 2,000 phone cards specially designed for the company by PT Telkom.

Merpati president Budiarto Soebroto said initial sales, particularly aimed at collectors, would begin March 1 at the company's headquarters on Jl. Angkasa, Central Jakarta.

Merpati has ordered two series of phone cards. One featuring the company's board of directors and the other featuring an A-310-300 jet flying between Jakarta and Melbourne, Australia.

Phone cards were first introduced in Italy in 1976. Telkom began using them in 1988. (icn)