DENPASAR: Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kojiro Shiojiri expressed concern Monday over the poor visa-on-arrival services at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali.

Speaking during a meeting with Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika in Denpasar, Shoijiri said the poor quality of the service could be seen from the long queues of arriving tourists waiting to get visas.

A good visa-on-arrival service determines tourists'first impression, he said.first image is very important for tourism,"said Shiojiri, who suggested adding more service booths so that there would be no need for tourists to queue for hours.

Shoijiri said Bali constituted the second most popular destination for Japanese tourists after Paris. The great interest among Japanese to visit Bali lies in the unique culture and hospitality of the Balinese, he said.

Last year at least 350,000 tourists from Japan visited Bali, he said. Most of them were interested in learning about Balinese culture and history besides running businesses on the resort island, he added.

Pastika admitted to the poor visa-on-arrival services and pledged to convey Shiojiri's input to state-owned Angkasa Pura I, which manages the airport. -- JP

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