ASITA PESSIMISTIC VOA CAN INCREASE FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS

Jakarta, Feb 1 (ANTARA) - The Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agents (Asita) expressed pessimism that the implementation of the Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) starting on February 1, 2010 would be able to increase foreign tourists visits to Indonesia.

"VoA is really to facilitate the foreign tourists but it does not guarantee the increase in number," Jakarta branch of Asita spokesman Joungki Adiyasa said here on Monday.

He said the Visa-on-Arrival policy was not something new in Indonesia, because some 20 years ago Indonesia flag carrier Garuda Indonesia cooperated with various parties to implement it.

"VoA management is not something new because immigration services during the flight has been existing since the past 20 years," Adiyasa said.

He even proposed that Indonesia start to put visa application through internet or e-visa into effect.

"Why don't we think of something more practical and simpler by using sophisticated technology," he asked.

Besides, he said the effort to jack up the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia was not merely through the implementation of VoA, because tourism sector had its own complexity that should be supported with other sectors.

Culture and Tourism Ministry's marketing director I Gde Pitana said recently that VoA try out for Japanese tourists had a positive result.

Pitana said VoA was very effective to improve tourism services in Indonesia.

"The tourists just remain in their respective seats on the airplane and the visa service will be given from seat to seat and processed in about 15 minutes, and it is very good for our image," he said.

"The new VoA service will improve Indonesia's image as a world destination and hopefully encourage more foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. Tourists can be issued visas in 15 minutes on board their flights, before landing on Indonesia soil," he added.

He said the VoA service was designed for foreigners coming to Indonesia for holidaying , social, business or official visits.

The new policy was expected to increase the flow of tourists to Indonesia and thus also the country's foreign exchange earnings.