No exodus overseas, say RI travel agents

No exodus overseas, say RI travel agents

JAKARTA (JP): The number of Indonesians traveling abroad
during the election campaign is no more than usual for the time
of year but many foreign tourists have delayed their visits to
Indonesia until after the election is over, according to travel
executives.

Director of travel agency PT Iwata Meity Robot said that staff
in her office handling outbound tours had not been very busy this
month.

"Bookings and reservations have increased for the school
holiday period (in July), but not in May," she told The Jakarta
Post Saturday.

She said that several overseas groups intending to visit
Indonesia this month had delayed their trips until June.

Director of PT Pantravel, Elly Hutabarat, said that her
company had even suggested to foreign tourists who wanted to come
here to delay their visits until after the election.

"We don't say, however, that Indonesia is not safe. Anyway, we
are not in the high season yet," she said.

Chairman of PT Setia Tur, Nurdin Purnomo, told the Post over
the weekend that there were seasons for Indonesians traveling
abroad.

"Popular times for Indonesians traveling overseas are usually
the July school holiday, Christmas and Idul Fitri. May and June
are not low season but are not high either."

Some two million Indonesians traveled abroad last year.

Analysts said many rich Indonesians have spent the one-month
campaign, which started on April 27, overseas to avoid a possible
violence at home.

Mob violence among supporters of the three competing parties
is growing and some analysts expect the situation will get worse
this week as the campaign reaches its peak.

Robot said that unfavorable media coverage of Indonesia would
affect the country's image.

"People won't go to any place in trouble and this depends on
the media coverage," she said.

Local authorities in Central Java reported last month that the
number of visitors to the province had dropped because of rioting
in several towns.

A provincial official was quoted as saying than many people
were afraid of traveling to the province after reading reports of
the riots.

The most recent riots happened Friday in the Central Java town
of Temanggung.

Nurdin said that Indonesia did not currently have a bad image
in Australia.

"I've just returned from four cities in Australia," he said.
"I didn't come across any negative opinions of Indonesia after I
met with officials and businesspeople in Sydney, Canberra,
Melbourne and Perth,"

He said that general elections were an accepted part of any
nation's activity and that Indonesia was no exception. (icn)