Nusa Dua,
Bali (ANTARA News) - Tourism operators in the Indonesian tourist resort island
of Bali have hailed a plan to introduce a common visa within countries grouped
in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"The
implementation of the common visa within the region will benefit tourism
industry operators," Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Industry
Association Ngurah Wijaya said here on Thursday.
He said the
imposition of the common visa would enable a person to enter all countries in
the region with a visa issued by one of the countries.
"Yet,
the imposition of a common visa will correct slightly the growth in the use of
visa on arrival," he said.
But Wijaya
is of the view that the implementation of the common visa would benefit the
tourism sector in Indonesia, particularly the Island of gods, Bali.
The
government set 2.7 million foreign tourist arrivals in Bali of its national
foreign tourist arrival target of 6.7 million in 2011.
He said
that Bali`s tourism industry businesses said they supported the common visa
plan. Moreover, many countries in the region, including Indonesia, now has open
air transportation access which directly connect big cities in the region.
"There
have been 17 main gates which connect big cities in ASEAN," he said.
In the
meantime, Secretary General of the Indonesia Restaurant and Hotel Association
(IRHA) for Bali Perry Markus said that the reduction of income from the visa on
arrival as a result of the common visa policy could be solved with a multiple
effect that would be created by the increasing number of visitors.
"We
will maximize it," Perry said.
He said
that the imposition of the common visa would increase boost the development of
creative industry which has the potential to support the tourism industry.
The value
of Bali`s creative industrial product exports in August 2011 reached US$51.94
million, up 8.85 percent from the previous month.
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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