TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel`s move to ban Indonesian tourists from entering makes travel bureaus concerned. One of Indonesia's pilgrimage tour organizers, Christour, said many of their clients are questioning the entry ban.
"Some of our clients are concerned," Christour staff Franky told Tempo, Thursday. May 31.
He added that the ban may cause delays to tourists planning to visit Jerusalem. "We told our clients not to panic while we wait for the government to provide more information," he said.
Read: Israel Issues Travel Ban for Indonesian Tourist
Franky hopes the entry ban is temporary.
Israel decided to ban the entry of Indonesian tourists, presumably in retaliation for Jakarta's decision to suspend visas for Israelis decided days after the Gaza incident last week.
Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed Israel's ban but didn’t elaborate further.
Indonesia and Israel have no diplomatic relations. Indonesian tourists planning a spiritual journey to Israel have been entering the area through Egypt or other bordering countries.