'Tourism in rehabilitation phase next year'

'Tourism in rehabilitation phase next year'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

To resurrect the country's tourism industry after the tragic
Bali bombing, the government will concentrate next year on the
rehabilitation and normalization of the sector through quality
improvement, aggressive marketing and regional cooperation.

State Minister of Culture and Tourism I Gede Ardika said the
government was expecting that at by end of 2003 the country's
tourism industry would regain its attractiveness for world
travelers.

"The present difficulties will not affect the positive long
term growth of the tourism industry, as in 2003 we will assure to
the world travelers that Indonesia is a safe place to visit,"
said Ardika during a year-end press conference on Monday.

During the rehabilitation stage, which runs from January to
June, the ministry has decided to set up a worldwide media
campaign and promotion by allocating some Rp 41 billion (US$4.6
million).

Some Rp 10.4 billion is allocated to boost promotion through
international media such as giant US-based networks, CNN, ABC,
and CNBC.

The fund will also be used to set up a promotion agency in
Japan, Australia and Europe by appointing public relations firms
in those countries to handle the advertising and marketing
campaign.

The ministry is allocating some Rp 10 billion for the
programs.

Other important programs highlighted during the first half of
2003 will be quality improvement in which the ministry has
allocated Rp 22.5 billion.

Some of the fund will be used to finance the deliberation of
the tourism bill, the study on the development of cruise ships
and a campaign for community-based tourism.

The fund will also be used to finance efforts to boost
domestic tourism which last year contributed $7.7 billion of
income to the tourism industry. Domestic tourists contribute
higher income in comparison to international tourists which in
2001 only reached $5.5 billion.

At the second half of 2003, the government will move forward
to another phase called the normalization period.

In this period the ministry plans to conduct an active
bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation, organizing
events and improving service standard.

Ardika expressed his optimism that the recovery program would
run as planned and hoped that by 2004 Indonesia would have the
ability to expand its tourism market from previous levels, he
told the conference.

The government has estimated last week that foreign tourist
arrivals would dip by 16.5 percent to 4.3 million this year
compared to 5.15 million in 2001, due to the Bali bombing on Oct.
12.

The figure is the lowest number of foreign arrivals in six
years.

Meanwhile, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said Monday
that international visitors to Indonesia in October plunged 19.5
percent to 304,800 compared to September.

Foreign tourist arrivals in Bali in October also saw a decline
from 157,000 in September to 87,000 in October.