Indonesia eyes visa waivers for 20 countries, including India

Indonesia is considering the possibility of granting visa-free entry to citizens from 20 countries, including the United States, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Germany, Britain, and France, in an effort to boost tourism and bolster its economy. The government aims to finalise the list of countries within the next month, as per an official statement. Minister Sandiaga Uno revealed that the president has directed the government to explore visa waivers as a strategy to enhance economic growth, attract more tourists, and encourage investment. According to official data, there were more than 16 million foreign arrivals in Indonesia in pre-pandemic 2019. In the period from January to October this year, the country experienced a significant surge with 9.49 million foreign visitors, marking a 124.3 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022. Indonesia follows the trend in Southeast Asia by considering visa exemptions for Chinese travelers, a key market, following Singapore’s recent announcement of a 30-day mutual visa exemption with China set to take effect early next year. Thailand and Malaysia have also eliminated visa requirements for visitors from China and India recently. With inputs from Reuters