Indonesia is planning to let more nationalities enter the country without visas, to attract more tourism spending, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
The government is proposing to add 20 countries to the list, including the United States, China and India, said Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Reuters citing official data reported that there more than 16 million foreign arrivals in Indonesia in pre-pandemic 2019. Till October 2023, Indonesia received 9.49 million foreign visitors, an increase of 124.3% from the same period in 2022.
Earlier this year, Indonesia limited visa-free entry to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries after many instances of foreign tourists misbehaving and breaking local laws.
This time, the government will also step up surveillance while seeking to bring in visitors who spend more and stay longer, and are less likely to behave badly, Sandiaga Uno said, as per Bloomberg.
Indonesia is targeting 11.5 million foreign tourists this year and expects the sector to contribute 200 trillion rupiah ($13 billion) to the economy next year.
Last month, Malaysia scrapped entry visa requirements for citizens of India and China visiting the nation beginning Dec. 1.
Reports have also emerged that Vietnam is in line to consider the possibility of introducing visa-free entry for Indian tourists. Sri Lanka and Thailand are allowing visa-free entry for Indians. Thailand has granted visa-free entry for Indian nationals since November 10.
In October, Sri Lankan Cabinet approved the policy to issue free tourist visas to travellers from India and six other countries. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in a statement said that this would be carried out as a pilot project effective until March 31, 2024.
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