Jakarta - The lifting of a US travel warning on Indonesia  is expected to help increase the number of US tourist arrivals in the country in 2008, a presidential spokesman said.

"The lifting of the travel warning is something we have been waiting for a long time," Dino Pati Djalal said here on Monday in response to the lifting of the US travel warning that had been effective since 2000.

He said before the US government officially revoked the travel warning, its embassy in Jakarta had notified the Indonesian government on Washington's plan to lift it.

"We welcome  the warning's revocation," Djalal said.

He said of late a number of US prominent figures had visited Indonesia such as Bill Gates and director of computer processor Intel Corporation Craig R Barret.

At the end of 2007 in Bali, Indonesia also successfully  hosted  the UN Convention on Climate Change which was attended by a number of heads of state and prominent figures from various parts of the world.

"The whole world now knows that Indonesia is secure. As for  the threat of terrorist activity, it can  happen anywhere," Djalal said.

The US State Department recently  lifted Washington's  travel warning on Indonesia after noting that security conditions in Indonesia had improved significantly.

- Source : Antara News Agency, 27 May 2008