Govt to suspend idle travel agencies

Govt to suspend idle travel agencies

JAKARTA (JP): The government will intensify the supervision of
travel agencies and will shut down those that are not active or
performing poorly, an official said.

"The Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications ruled in
January 1993 that every travel agency or tour operator, including
its branches, must report its operations every six months,"
deputy director general of tourism Azhari Abdullah told reporters
here yesterday.

He said that since January last year, more than 20 inactive
travel agencies have been suspended.

"As they did not have any activity, they could not make any
report," he said, refusing to name the agencies.

He also said that another 11 travel agencies in North Sumatra
will be closed down next month as they have been inactive over
the last six months.

The semester reports, he said, must include information on
travel packages, numbers of tourists being handled and financial
performance.

Director General of Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng said earlier
that Jakarta and Bali have been closed to new travel agencies.

Andi said he will encourage private businessmen to run travel
agencies or branch offices in the other provinces, especially in
the lesser-known destinations.

Data from the Directorate of Tourism showed that there were
1,539 travel agencies operating in 1993, up by 14.6 percent from
1,342 in 1992. Of the total, 426 were located in Jakarta and 143
in Bali. (icn)