Indonesian tourist industry in Kuta Bali
Yesterday I was kindly invited to the warung owned by Hendra ( the owner of Internet Outpost on Poppies II ) for a gathering of travel industry people including Mr Ardika, the minister of tourism. The warung is located at the big roundabout at Sampang Dewa Ruci. It took me a while to find it as the traffic was crazy and once you miss it you are in the one way system and off to another planet.
I eventually located the place at the set time of 3pm and met up with Hendra, who to my delight was wearing a BaliBlog shirt. There were about a dozen people inside eating traditional Indonesian food and chatting.
I got an iced tea and introduced myself to various gentlemen ( and one lady ) who work in major hotels here. Hendra told me this informal gathering was a reunion for people who graduated from the tourism school in Bandung Java, the minister being the former dean.
During the next hour people arrived and greeted each other with excitement, you could tell these folks have shared many times together in the past.
At around 4pm the Mr Ardika arrived and climbed out of a shiny silver Mercedes. The guests had all signed a 4′* 4′ plaque and he was presented with this.
Everybody packed inside and greetings were offered over a microphone. Mr Ardika answered a couple of questions then launched into a 25 minutes speech covering the situation of the tourist industry and and the new rules discussed by the government.
I don’t speak Indonesian so missed out on almost all of the speech but could pick out parts of it. I have not confirmed this with Hendra but I think he said that the government will change the length of the tourist visa from 60 to 30 days in responce to Australia and the US having tight visa restrictions on Indonesians.
There are a whole host of reasons why the US has tight visa restrictions with Indonesia ( threat of terrorism and an enormous economic disparity etc. ) and in my opinion asking for reciprocation is not realistic. Halving the tourist visa will take a huge chunk out of the tourist industry’s revenue. I think Bali will be affected in a negative way, with travelers opting to visit Thailand instead, but other parts of Indonesia will be hit harder.
In 1993 I travelled with my friend Mark Winsko from Bali to Java, to Sumatra visiting islands off shore along the way. We had a 2 month visa and left on the very last day feeling we could use another 2 months. Visitors in my position today simply won’t get to those places last on the list, or pass through places faster than they’d like to and spend less money.
Obviously people staying in large hotels and resorts won’t care as they are in and out in a week.
I had breakfast today at Cafe Moka with our buddy Mark from New York. I talked about this same subject and he told me the guy in the government who was pushing for this was the vice president who is a bit of a radical ( religious, doesn’t like the US ). I guess he doesn’t like money either.
I must say that it was very gracious of Hendra to welcome me to his restaurant, and introduce me to his friends and associates. He also helped me pass on a BaliBlog t-shirt to the minister ( Sir if you’re reading this I’d be happy to get one for all your colleagues in the government, just send me a list of sizes ).
I hope that influential business leaders will get together and curtail plans to introduce a visa restriction. Tourists are customers and if you lock your customers out, you go out of business.
By Nick | Permalink
Related Posts
- Meeting the minister in Kuta Bali
- Hot day downtown in Kuta Bali
- Getting Andrea to Lombok Bali
- Visa on arrival a success says minister in Jakarta Indonesia
- Party at the beach in Kuta Bali
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share              |
Comments
Here’s a comment from one of the Indonesian government “Visitors will only be allowed to enter certain parts of the country where the visa-on-arrival is issued and will have to repeat the process if they visit other places here,” For axample does this mean if I were to travel from bali to Sulawesi I would have to get another visa? Sure sounds like ie to me.
Marie -
If that is indeed true, that you can only enter at certain parts of the country, it makes you wonder who will be working at those port-of-entries, and who hired them, and if they’re friends/family of Mega and the gang, and where the money will go….
I was thinking about this whole thing quite a bit during my lunch break. If the election next year runs smoothly, without vote-rigging, corruption, etc., then Mega simply won’t get reelected and the person that does will be more pro-tourism.
That being said, we are talking about Indo here, so maybe I need to come down out of the clouds and face reality.
However, many, many businesses will fold in the coming months and Mega’s gang (and voters) will surely hear about it before the election, provided they let the press run what’s really going on.
I won’t be suprised at all if this new rule gets scrapped altogether after the inevitable economic mayhem or is scrapped after the government realizes how many businesses they’ll run into the ground because of it.
Jason
Waikiki, Hawaii
Megawati is from Bali, the tourist capitol of Indonesia. I’d like to be a town meeting between her and some of the business owners who go bankrupt in the next year. Will be interesting listening to her describe what steps her government have taken to encourage tourism.
Hi,
I’m a newcomer. Just found this blog when trying to surf for some news in Bali as my Indian boss (I’m his secretary) is asking me to make a program for his upcoming 12 days vacation in Bali with his family.
On the visa issue: Being born and live in Indonesia (although my parents are Chinese), can easily predict that most likely this new visa rule will never be implemented, just like many other regulations that was drafted, formulated, signed, and invited many pro&cons - will, at the end, never be implemented. It’s the Indonesian government style of wasting their time. And even if it’s implemented, it will probably for a short time only, until election 2004 and when the new government take over, the rules will, for sure, change again… (wanna bet???)
Lilis,
Let’s hope so. I have faith that intelligent people will make intelligent decisions.
I too hope that the visa thing is eventually quashed but I am pessimistic. Mega is basically only half Balinese and this issue came into focus a couple of days before the bali bombing. TNI did not want any foreigners in Aceh and as such have pushed heavily for this new ruling. Also where will the money go, There is an election next year and elections cost money. The balinese are almost certainly going to support Mega’s party as who else are they going to vote for Golkar or a Muslim party??
Sorry for being glass is only half full this morning, I wish for the best..honest
Brad, you are definitely right regarding the people of Bali still voting for Mega. Although in certain parts the newly re-vamped (???) Golkar party does have minor support in Bali and East Nusatenggara, Bali wouldn’t want the PPP in power. What westerners should worry about is if the PPP does get into power. Moreover, Hamazah Haz (Deputy President) does have a fair chance in the upcoming elections - unfortunately. Since Aceh has instigated Sharia law, let’s hope it doesn’t spread throughout the archipelago.
I’ve heard after the 30 day tourist visa expires, one must leave Indo for an extended period of time. Does anyone know the exact amount ?
What is the status of the new tourist visa regulations ? Are they still planned for September ?
Avoid all this visa problem.
Spend US$200 - give it to AGUS in the office of Immigraion officer on and you get one year business visa. Each entry valid for 90 days.
Dear sir,
it is great to contact you,i’m aGambia i’m making a requirement if you could assist nme with invitation letter for visa support,as i’m very interested to come indonesia as tourist only one mounth,
hope to hear from you soon.
Dembo.
Dear sir,
it is great to contact you,i’m aGambia i’m making a requirement if you could assist nme with invitation letter for visa support,as i’m very interested to come indonesia as tourist only one mounth,
hope to hear from you soon.
Dembo.
Nick,
What you said about the other parts of Indonesia suffering even more than Bali will is absolutely true.
Indonesia is an enormous country, and as you know, it can take months and months and months to see it all, backpacker-style.
Places like Lake Toba, Lombok, Flores, Sumbawa, etc. are going to suffer much worse than Bali with the new 30-day visa, because many simply won’t have the time to see it all in 30 days or less.
This whole thing is quite sad. However, if I were a restaurant, bar, or tour operator owner in Thailand, I’d be quite excited about this, as they are virtually guaranteed a spike in arrivals due to the fact they don’t have this bullshit law.
Jason
Waikiki, Hawaii