Indonesia may revoke visa-free facility for Aussies
Indonesia may revoke visa-free facility for Aussies
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza
Mahendra said on Thursday that his ministry planned to revoke the
visa-free facility being enjoyed by Australian tourists.
"But we will do it gradually, because Indonesia has only
limited consulates (in Australia to process visas)," Yusril said
after meeting with Australian Minister of Immigration Phillip
Ruddock in Canberra.
He said that once adopted, information about the regulation
must be disseminated to Australians who want to visit Indonesia
as tourists.
Yusril said the government would initially impose the "visa on
arrival" regulation.
"They are welcome to Indonesia as tourists as they will have
to pay for their visas upon arrival at the airport," he was
quoted by Antara as saying.
He denied there was a political motive behind the plan, saying
it was merely aimed at increasing Indonesia's foreign exchange
revenue.
If Australian tourists reached six million per year, Indonesia
could reap US$300 million by asking each of them US$50 for a visa
to enter Indonesia, Yusril explained.
He noted that the Australian government imposed the same
regulation on Indonesians visiting Australia.
Yusril further said the Indonesian government also planned to
reduce the number of days allowed for Australian tourists to stay
in Indonesia which is 60 days at present.
"This is because a lot of Australian tourists have misused
their tourist visas to work illegally in Indonesia," he said.
He promised to coordinate with related institutions, including
the foreign affairs ministry and the tourism ministry to reduce
the impact of the regulation on Indonesia's tourism.
When asked for comment, Meity Robot, president of the central
board of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA), told
The Jakarta Post the association had not yet been informed about
the planned visa policy.
She said the new policy, if implemented, could reduce the
number of Australian visitors to Indonesia, especially to Bali,
which is the most popular tourist destination in the country for
Australia.
However, Bali governor Dewa Made Berata played down the
potential impact of the new policy on the tourism industry on the
island.
"If the Australian tourist arrivals drop, it won't cause a
significant impact on the province's earnings," the governor told
the Post in Denpasar.
He said Australia once ranked first in sending tourists to
Bali but the number of Australian visitors dropped after
bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australia soured
following the referendum in East Timor in 1999.
Indonesia disliked the fact that Australia took a leading role
in the 1999 referendum in East Timor and the peacekeeping force
after the referendum.
The governor said Japan now ranks top on the list of the
countries sending tourists to the island.
"Aside from being large in number, the Japanese tourists
usually have more money and are more disciplined than the
Australians. Honestly speaking, I like those kind of tourists,
that is those who have money, and are well-disciplined," the
governor said.
He hinted support for the government's plan to revoke the
visa-free facility, saying it would make Bali a "high quality"
tourist destination rather than a "cheap" one.
"Bali will be quickly damaged, if it is flooded with tourists
who love partying but have no money," the governor said.
(rid/jsk/zen)