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strong>Nov. 5, Online

The government will waive visa requirements for the citizens of several countries in a bid to attract 20 million tourists by 2020.

'€œBased on the coordination meeting result, there will be five countries: Australia, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, which are to be granted visa-free access by the government,'€ Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Indroyono Soesilo said in Jakarta on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Through the program, he said the government expected to see an additional 500,000 tourist arrivals in a year.

Your comments:

Back in the 90s, I used to get a 60-day visa for free. And as a backpacker that used to mean I would stay for two months in Indonesia and visit remote areas.

This was good for guesthouse owners in remote parts of Sumatra, for example. I have a friend who owns a guesthouse in the Pasemah highlands of Sumatra and she said that as soon as the 60-day visa was replaced by the 30-day one, backpackers stopped arriving in Pasemah (Besemah).

It was just too remote to bother with on a short stay. Visa restrictions hurt Indonesian small business owners.

Lasem Benny

This new government is at last a thinking government and five countries are a good start.

Hopefully, it will be extended to the whole world! Singaporeans can travel the world without a visa (except Australia '€” because they don'€™t have a '€œworking'€ immigration dept that reviews their policies on a regular basis! And they have the highest airport tax in the world).

Pauloh

The odd one out is Russia, which had 51,000 visitors to Bali. Russia being included is indeed difficult to understand, there must be something odd going on in that particular case.

But as for the other places you refer to, Ukraine and New Zealand have little growth potential for tourism here. Taiwan sent 78,000 tourists to Bali this year, behind France and the UK in seventh and eighth places.

Taiwan is out because PRC is in. That'€™s how it is in international politics with these two '€” you can have one or the other, but not both!

Terry McAsee

The question is whether it is a good tactic to waive visas for tourists who already come in numbers (therefore are not deterred by visa fees) and not for potential tourists from other countries who would come to Indonesia if it were visa free.

I suppose there has been an impact study before the government took that decision, but who knows.

Jan Karl

To do away with the cumbersome and laborious visa application on arrival by visitors is one of the best moves by the ministry to attract tourists into the country, especially when you take into consideration the populace of China, Japan, Australia and South Korea, who are all big spenders, while the sprawling layout of Indonesia has all that it takes to attract them.

Yes, forgo the visa charges but think of the sum spent by each incoming visitor and the spinoffs that will be generated '€” this includes a variety of new jobs too. I say this because Singapore is an excellent and unique example to quote.

When Singapore emphasizes tourism it makes sure that every sector earns money for the government, just ask those Indonesians who have been to Sentosa, Universal Studios, Undersea World, Gardens by the Bay, cable cars, casinos, China town, Little India and many other places of interests. Singapore is really unique because the government ensures direct and indirect spinoffs. As seen, incoming or outgoing visitors have to pay airport tax. Visitors heading to the city use the MRT, bus or taxis '€” government owned.

Stay in hotels or shopping incurs value-added tax. How much money is lost by visitors in the casino is
unfathomable but the taxes paid by the two casinos must be massive
annually. The Tourism Ministry can now start by identifying those attractive destinations for visitors. Indonesia has 13,000 islands '€” can anyone tell me which one I should visit first?

Lastly, when is Indonesia going to announce the official date to lift the visa requirement?

Luwanto

It is about time! Obviously it should be more than five countries but this is a step in the right direction. This new government is showing some much-needed common sense.

Jbl Nor