Crime news on TV ruin tourism sector in Indonesia

Batam (Antara News) - Crime news which were frequently released by the privately-run Indonesian television stations have seriously affected the tourism sector in the country, an official said.

Iqbal Alan Abdullah, chairman of the Indonesian Congress and Conventions Association (INCCA) said here Thursday crime news have showed the world real peace never prevailed in Indonesia, and prompted foreign tourists to think twice before deciding to visit the country.

"The private television stations do not realize that TV stations in Singapore and Malaysia had been relaying the crime news in Indonesia," he said, adding that such news release left a bad impression on the security situation in Indonesia.

Making a comparison, Iqbal said that Thailand is always considered to be a safe place, despite the coup and other violent happenings there, because the local press did not report such negative news about the situation in that country.

"Actually Indonesia is a safe place, but it has this bad image because at least four private local tv stations have been broadcasting crime news every morning," he pointed out.

If the government wishes to promote tourism, it should correct the situation, Iqbal added. (*)

another case of "let's fix the perception rather than the reality".