Indonesia considers expanding visa-free travel to drive tourism growth

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Tourism Ministry is pushing for an expanded Visa-Free Visit (BVK) policy to boost Indonesia’s global competitiveness, stating the move could surge foreign tourist arrivals by up to 32.4 percent.

In an official statement released in Jakarta on Wednesday, the ministry highlighted travel facilitation as a decisive factor for global travelers, especially as neighboring Southeast Asian nations aggressively continue to loosen their travel requirements.

The ministry backed its push with historical data, pointing to Indonesia’s extensive experience in 2016 when it granted visa-free facilities to 169 countries.

A joint study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Oxford Economics revealed that the policy contributed to a 24 percent spike in foreign tourist demand and supported the creation of around 400,000 jobs.

Following a refined calculation using actual foreign tourist arrival data from 2018, the ministry estimated that the optimized impact of the BVK policy on increasing tourist demand could reach 32.4 percent.

"This figure shows that travel facilitation policies have a strong correlation with the growth of tourist arrivals," the Tourism Ministry stated.

The ministry further emphasized that Visa-Free Visit is not solely an immigration issue, but rather a core component of strengthening Indonesia's accessibility, ease of travel, and overall attractiveness.

The ministry’s renewed push comes amid mounting pressure to keep pace with regional rivals. Currently, Indonesia lags behind neighbors such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam regarding the number of countries granted reciprocal or unilateral visa-exempt status.

Data from the WTTC shows that the median annual increase in tourist arrivals for countries with visa-free policies reaches 16.6 percent, significantly higher than the 8.1 percent increase recorded by countries that merely introduce new visa types.

Furthermore, an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) study indicates that simplifying entry rules can increase arrivals by 7.2 percent to 27 percent.

Beyond boosting arrivals, the ministry emphasized that the policy has the potential to stimulate tourist spending, create employment opportunities, and strengthen local economies.

However, the Tourism Ministry maintained that any future expansion of the visa-free list must be formulated carefully by taking into strict account state security, international reciprocity, and the national interest.

To achieve this, the ministry urged enhanced synergy across various government ministries and state institutions to establish a balanced immigration framework that can boost the economy through local jobs and tourist spending while keeping the country’s borders secure.

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Translator: Farika Nur Khotimah, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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