Indonesia and World Tourism News

Tourism needs a jump start

David Kluwen’s letter (appearing in The Jakarta Post, Dec. 27) correctly highlighted that Indonesia’s tourism development has been suppressed by ineffective promotions and retrograde visa rules.

In Indonesia’s major secondary destinations, including Bromo, Malang, Brastagi, Solo, Batam and Tanjung Pinang, there were signs that many of these beautiful places were in the midst of a continuing and long term decline in foreign visitor arrivals.

A visitor can immediately see public tourism facilities, such as visitor’s centers, directional signage, tourist-oriented shopping areas and hotels, have been neglected for well over a decade.

If you ask older locals why, it doesn’t take long find out: During the 80’s and early 90’s, under the leadership of former Tourism Minister Joop Ave, Indonesia enjoyed a golden era of inbound tourist activity, (relatively) free from red tape, taxes and rent seeking civil servants.

The watershed occurred around 1983, when the 60 day red-tape free tourist visa was introduced. Over the past decade and half, however, visitors have found a holiday to Indonesia has become increasingly expensive in terms of money, time and frustrating experiences.

Visitors’ time spent “learning the ropes” — such as negotiating for tickets from touts and price gougers — starts the minute they set foot in the country, at an airport or ferry port terminal. Visitors find no useful tourist information to guide themselves. Their first experience, at the immigration counter, is all too often a bad one.

The bad experience continues where advertised hotel and restaurant prices whack hefty 20-30 percent taxes and surcharges onto each bill.

Here is just one example of the rent seeking that suppresses every part of the tourist industry: Those who visit Batam this New year may have trouble getting their favorite alcoholic drink.

Riau Islands is suffering one of its routine alcohol shortages due to one of those all-too-frequent turf wars between the civil servants (who license the distribution of alcohol), those who allow ships to pass freely on the seas, and the those who control ports.

If tourist arrivals are to ever reach their huge potential, the existing crop of untalented rent-seeking political hacks who run this important economic sector must be replaced by the kind of visionary leaders that Indonesian tourism once briefly had.

EVAN JONES
Batam, Riau Islands

Source: The Jakarta Post

Add comment January 7th, 2008

Indonesian airlines failing to attract growing number of Chinese visitors

According to Antara news, Indonesia has received a growing number of Chinese tourists however these visitors are still using foreign airlines to make the journey, said Mr Sudrajat, Indonesia’s ambassador to China.

Most of the Chinese visitors used other airlines such as Southern Airlines, which offer direct flights between Shanghai and Bali, and China Air. Last year, there were over 30, 000 Chinese travellers to Indonesia and it is anticipated that the figure will be twice as much this year.

“National airlines have yet to grab the opportunity offered by the increasing number of Chinese people who go to Indonesia, and they have not been able to increase their Indonesia-China flight frequencies,” said Mr Sudrajat,
The Visit Indonesia Year 2008 (VIY) was recently launched in Jakarta during December last year by Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Culture, Jero Wacik.

The program aims to help Indonesia attract around seven million tourists from around the world.  After the Visa-On-Arrival service was introduced for Chinese officials travelling to Indonesia, the number of Chinese visitors to places like Bali grew considerably, said Sudrajat.

However, the ambassador commented that several Chinese tourists had criticized the service they had received while using Indonesian airlines. This included things such as common delays in flight.

The Indonesian Ambassador called on the Tourism and Culture Ministry, the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing as well as flight and tour operators to help Indonesia reach the target set for Chinese travellers arriving in 2008.

There are currently three Indonesian carriers that fly offer flights between Indonesia and China including Garuda Indonesia, Batavia Air and Lion Air.

Source: http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/

Add comment January 7th, 2008