Indonesian plans to issue visas from its consulate in Guangzhou to try to boost tourists from China.

"One of the crucial decisions is the opening of an immigration service in Guangzhou, as we only had it in Beijing previously.

"We will assign immigration officials after the Idul Fitri festival to begin the visa service," Jero Wacik, Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik, was quoted by Bisnis Indonesia as saying. The Muslim holiday will fall on Nov. 14 and 15.

He said the opening of a new visa service would help boost arrivals from China, which currently stood at a mere 80,000 a year.

"The figure is very low. The new service is expected to boost tourist arrivals from China to 400,000 a year," he said.

The decision was warmly welcomed by the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (Asita) and the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI).

"We have requested (visa service in Guangzhou) for a long time," Asita chairman Ben Sukma said.

Elsewhere, PHRI Chairwoman Yanti Sukamdani said the opening of a visa service in Guangzhou was a positive move by the government.

 (Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2004)