House Commission VII: Evaluate Visa-Free Regulations to Boost Foreign Tourist Visits
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Chair of House Commission VII Chusnunia Chalim believes that the visa-free policy must be evaluated and made more selective to impact the increase in foreign tourist (wisman) visits.
In her statement in Jakarta on Friday, Chusnunia responded that it is not the visa-free policy itself that is wrong, but rather how it should be more selective in granting visa-free access going forward.
“What was explained by Mr Dirjen Imigrasi (Hendarsam Marantoko) is not wrong because it is data-based. Nevertheless, the main point is not to abolish the visa-free policy, but to be more selective regarding which countries are the origins of tourists related to the visa-free policy,” she said.
Previously, Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko stated that the visa-free policy is not the main factor determining the number of foreign tourists coming to the country.
Hendarsam said that when Indonesia implemented visa-free access for 169 countries in 2019, the number of visits was recorded at 12.4 million people. Meanwhile, in 2025, when the policy was tightened to only 17 countries with visa-free access, the number of visits actually increased to 14.3 million people.
According to him, foreign tourists consider ease of service, digitalisation, and treatment during their stay in Indonesia more than the visa-free policy, so it is necessary to encourage the required strategy shift.
“We must continue to push for a shift in tourism strategy from merely chasing the number of visits (mass tourism) to focusing on quality, experience, environmental sustainability, and greater economic impact,” he said.
According to him, this paradigm emphasises security, comfort, and tourist satisfaction, especially since the government itself has set a major foundation for developing quality and sustainable tourism that refers to the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025-2029.
“Quality tourism is not just about the number of visits, but how the competitiveness of our destinations can provide unique, high-value, sustainable experiences, and equally importantly, impact the economy of the community,” said Chusnunia.