Tourism associations deem visa-free policy effective in boosting foreign arrivals

A number of associations in the tourism industry consider the Visa-Free Visit (BVK) policy effective for increasing foreign tourist arrivals into the country. “We see it as one of the effective policies, indeed, to boost foreign tourist arrivals because it certainly makes a country easier to access,” said Maulana Yusran, Secretary-General of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI). Yusran assessed that the policy would make it easier for tourists to visit as the cost of cross-border travel decreases, particularly amid the current discussion on rising avtur prices. The policy can also serve as a sweetener for foreign tourists, allowing Indonesia to raise its existence on the global stage as a destination to visit. The expected increase in foreign tourist arrivals is also hoped to boost regional revenues more evenly. “It will certainly drive up ticket prices, not only domestic but also international flights will rise sharply everywhere. This is how we can push back when our rupiah value is under pressure,” he said. A similar sentiment was shared by Pauline Suharno, Chairwoman of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASTINDO). Pauline assessed that the policy can attract more quality foreign tourists, especially from countries that are regarded as primary tourism markets. “The visa-free visit is expected to be opened for increasingly more nationalities, especially our primary markets and those with a good track record of not staying too long, so that we can compete more effectively with neighbouring countries,” Pauline said. In this regard, she suggested the government can learn from Thailand and Malaysia, which have seen a surge in arrivals since they implemented visa-free policies for nationals from Europe and China. Previously, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana conveyed that the government is finalising regulations to sharpen the Visa-Free Visit policy using an “8+1” formula for a number of countries such as Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Macau. The same applies to holders of permanent resident status from Singapore. She noted some countries like Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Macau were already on the radar of the initial initiative from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. Widiyanti stated the policy is taken as a strategic step to maintain the flow of foreign tourist arrivals amidst global flight connectivity disruptions in the Middle East region. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia in April 2026 reached 1.25 million people. This figure increased by 7.22 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. The increase in foreign tourist arrivals is also reflected in the cumulative achievement for January-April 2026. During the first four months of this year, the number of foreign tourist arrivals was recorded at 4.68 million visits, up 8.24 per cent compared to the same period last year. Based on nationality as reflected by the passport used, tourists from Malaysia were the largest contributor of arrivals to Indonesia in April 2026, reaching 207.96 thousand or equivalent to 16.65 per cent of total foreign tourist arrivals. The next position was occupied by tourists from Australia with 157.96 thousand arrivals or 12.65 per cent of the total, followed by tourists from China with 133.99 thousand arrivals or contributing 10.73 per cent.