‘WHO’ THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?

When Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic blasted its first tourists into so called space last week there was little excitement in the global media. After all, another lover of big boys’ toys, Elon Musk, had done it all before with his SpaceX flights, a mere (US)$55 million getting you a return ticket to the International Space Station. Most of us regard these much trumpeted ground breaking endeavours as follies and indulgences of the super rich, something that will never be available to the average punter.

One thing that those who can afford to take these joy flights don’t currently need is a travel visa but that could all change if China beats the US in the current race to the south pole of the moon. NASA has already raised the possibility of the Chinese annexing lunar territory and even extending their domain to parts of the stratosphere. It’s all highly speculative but back here on terra firma the granting of travel visas is a subject of continuing controversy and numerous inequities.

Australians like to travel, to all parts of the world, and regard it as almost automatic that they will be granted a visa to the majority of countries, with a small number of exceptions like North Korea. Every year hundreds of thousands of Australians head off to Asian destinations like Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia without the need to apply for a visa beforehand. Granting visas on arrival expedites the whole process of travel and obviously benefits the host countries with a steady flow of tourists.

On the other hand if you are an Indonesian or Malay or Filipino, or just about anybody from an Asian country you need to go through a lengthy and bureaucratic application to come to Australia simply as a tourist. John Howard once said “we will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come, and we’ll decide that applying humane equitable principles …”. He was obviously referring to refugees at the time but he could  well have been including tourist visas.

For example any Indonesian (there are 277 million of them by the way) wanting to come to Australia as a tourist needs to supply the following for a visa application.

Passport

National ID (KTP)

Birth Certificate

Family Card

Employment Status (Business License or Work Reference Letter)

Bank Statements (the last 3 months)

Visa Fee IDR 2.800.000 (non-refundable)

Info on an Australian government website states “Applying for an Australian Visitor Visa is a breeze! You can conveniently complete the application form online, saving you time and effort.”  It then adds ““Depending on your circumstances, you may be required to attend an appointment at an Australian Visa Application Centre or Biometric Collection Centre to provide biometric information and undergo a health examination. Sometimes, a visa interview over the phone is required. Don’t worry, it’s simply an opportunity for you to share more about your travel plans and intentions.”

From a number of Indonesians I have spoken with, the process is certainly not “a breeze” and they often find themselves being grilled as possible illegal immigrants. Knock backs are not uncommon with no real reason given and refusal is often humiliating. Imagine if the thousands of Australians who flock to Bali each year had to go through that same kind of interrogation and even present to a biometric collection centre beforehand.

Much has been said in recent weeks about Sydney smartening up for an onslaught of tourists, with the success of the Women’s World Cup acting as an international impetus. The Sydney City Council is planning a huge upgrade of the rundown China town precinct as well as a gentrification of Paddy’s Market to include up market food outlets.

With a softening of Australia/China relations, we are preparing for a major return of tourists from mainland China. Prior to Covid and the various trade sanctions, the influx of Chinese tourists here was a financial bonanza for the local economy. Many of them arrived on packaged tours, organized by Chinese operators with their visas readily granted in liaison with the Australian Government.

Given the populations of countries like Indonesia and Malaysia and the rise of their affluent middle classes it seems we are ignoring a huge potential tourist market. Admittedly Australia is not a cheap place to visit and many Asians would prefer to holiday at home at their own excellent and far less expensive resorts and tourist areas. Yet tourism is more than just economic gain, it’s also about cultural exchange and fostering strong political ties.

We need to dump the paranoia that every tourist who arrives in Sydney is here to overstay their visa. After all they would only have to check out supermarket and house rental prices to have them scurrying back home on the next flight available.