Jakarta. Indonesia is set to grant visa-free visits to 20 countries by October, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. The proposal is now in its final stages.

"The process is almost complete, and the list of 20 countries has been submitted. We are proposing visa-free entry for tourists from countries that provide the greatest economic impact," said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in Jakarta on Monday.

Sandiaga noted that the implementation of visa-free visits will be evaluated over a six-month period.

He added that the proposal, submitted in December last year, is expected to be implemented before the end of his tenure in October.

"We have received signals that our visa-free visit target will be realized before the end of the current administration," he added.

In December 2023, the ministry proposed that 20 countries be granted visa-free entry to Indonesia to increase the number of international tourists and generate significant economic impact.

The list of 20 countries includes Australia, China, India, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Italy, and Spain. Two additional countries are from the Middle East.

"These countries are major contributors to international tourism in Indonesia, including several Middle Eastern countries related to investment," said Sandi.

He believes that adding these 20 countries to the visa-free list will increase the number of international tourists, boost domestic consumption, attract investment, and create opportunities for digital economy development.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of foreign tourists in Indonesia surged to 5.2 million travelers in the January-May period. Data showed that Indonesia recorded almost 3 million foreign tourists in January-May 2020, and the number dropped to 604,471 travelers in 2021, and 997,432 tourists the following year. It then eventually grew to 4.2 million foreign tourists in the first five months of 2023.

Indonesia is aiming to attract 17 million foreign tourists this year.