MIRI: Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin wants tour agents and Immigration Department to work together to ease the Visa-on-Arrival (VOA) process for tourists from China and India entering Miri.
He gave the directive after chairing a meeting on the issue with tour agents and the Immigration Department at Miri Airport yesterday.
“Avoid making them (tourists) wait for one to two hours for their VOA to be issued upon their arrival here,” said Lee.
Lee stressed that he wanted the process to be efficient and prompt.
He also disclosed that his ministry would write to low cost carrier, AirAsia so that they can inform their passengers from China and India on the VOA requirements upon their arrival here.
“We want to encourage as many tourists especially from China and India to come here and we have made similar arrangement at Sungai 7 border checkpoint,” explained Lee.
From January to July this year, Miri registered a total 6,425 tourists from China and 3,373 from India, compared to 8,518 (Chinese) and 5,177 (India) for the whole of last year.
Also present at the meeting was Immigration Department Miri Airport head of operation Pellax Patros.
