This is normal practice in countries that do not allow IFR flight plans into VFR only airports.
And it's a perfectly good way of getting into an airport without IAPs. I'm just not convinced that it's the best way (for ATC, the pilot, or anyone else) of getting into an airport where 99% of arrivals are "vectors for the ILS or report visual and by the way can you give me 160 to 4d?".