Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy announced its plan to extend visa-free arrivals to 20 countries, including major tourism markets, this October.

Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said: “The process [ of selection]  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.”

Ministry officials submitted a roster of such nations in December of last year, and it includes key tourism markets like Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, the UK, and the US.

Catching up with the neighbours

In the past year, around 11.7 million tourists came to Indonesia, a significantly lower number compared to tourist arrivals in other Southeast Asian nations.

The country welcomed around three million foreign arrivals in the first three months of 2024, and hopes to see the number of overseas travellers to the country soar to around 17 million by the end of the year.