Indonesia on Thursday officially banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in convenience stores and other small shops, but senior officials in the capital are already expressing fears that the nation-wide regulation could hurt tourism.
Jakarta’s deputy governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, said he was hoping the ban would not scare away foreigners. "We can’t let [the ban] kill our tourism industry – beer and other alcoholic drinks are not taboo for foreigners, they are used to it because their countries are characterized by cold temperatures," Djarot said, without elaborating on the supposed connection between alcohol consumption and the prevailing climate.
Djarot also stressed that the ban on sale of alcohol by convenience stores did not mean alcohol would not be available at all in Indonesia, as the hospitality industry and larger supermarkets across the country would not be affected. Some areas in Indonesia do already ban alcohol consumption, such as Aceh, but this is based on regional bylaws, not national regulations.
(Source: Jakarta Globe )