Southeast Asia's largest economy to offer visa-free travel to 20 countries

By Hoang Vu July 18, 2024 | 03:31 am PT

Foreign tourists seen at the Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Indonesia. Photo by Reuters

Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, plans to grant visa-free visits to 20 countries including Australia, China and India by October, its Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy said.

"The process is almost complete, and the list of 20 destinations has been submitted. We are proposing visa-free entry for tourists from countries that provide the greatest economic impact," minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in Jakarta told Antara News Agency.

The list of countries slated for visa-free entry includes major tourism markets such as India, Australia, China, Japan, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Qatar, the U.K., and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

The proposal, submitted in December last year, is expected to be implemented by October, Jakarta Globe reported.

The implementation of visa-free visits will be evaluated over a six-month period.

In December last year, the ministry proposed that 20 countries be granted visa-free entry to Indonesia to boost tourism recovery.

Indonesia in Southeast Asia last year received 11.7 million foreign tourists, far behind most of its neighbors.

It eyes 17 million tourists this year.

The country welcomed 3 million foreign arrivals in the first quarter of this year.