Laos and Myanmar to remove v-o-a policy
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 11/17/2011 5:02 PM
ASEAN is one step closer to an ASEAN common visa framework.
Laos and Myanmar, the last two countries in the region applying visa-on-arrival for foreign tourists, have agreed to remove the policy by 2012, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa.
“[Both countries] are finalizing the process and synchronizing the policy with other ASEAN countries’ policies,” Marty said in Bali as quoted by tribunnews.com.
He said that the common visa framework was expected to help boost economic growth in the region.
The number of intra-ASEAN and extra-ASEAN tourist arrivals stood at 30.28 million in 2008, 30.85 million in 2009 and 31.88 million in 2010, according to data from the ASEAN Tourism Statistics Database.
