Target 3-7.4 Million Tourist Visits To Indonesia In 2023, Sandi Uno: Ease Of Visa Services To Become Supporting Components

Tourism Village Criteria (Instagram @sandiuno)

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said that the ease of visa services is an important component that can increase the growth of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia. "In 2023, Indonesia is targeting 3.5 million to 7.4 million foreign tourist visits. We believe that a second home visa with a validity period of 5-10 years can be a door for foreign tourist market niches that meet the criteria," Sandiaga said in his official statement in Jakarta, Thursday, November 10. Indonesia, through the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, stated that it participated in the second largest tourism exhibition in the world in the 2022 World Travel Market (WTM) which took place in Excel, London, England, for 7-9 November 2022. Sandiaga continued, Indonesia's participation in existing tourism exchanges since 1980 is an effort by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to market Indonesian tourism as one of the main destinations in Southeast Asia for the British market. "Given that Indonesian tourism for foreign tourists has been open since February 2022, so that our participation in the World Travel Market London is expected to increase the country's foreign exchange through tourism and encourage the creation of new and quality jobs," said the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy. Various ways have been done by the Indonesian government to revive the tourism industry, including exemption from PCR test requirements for healthy international travelers upon arrival, exemption from quarantine requirements for tourists who have been fully vaccinated, the implementation of visas on special tourism arrivals for 86 countries since September 2022, visa-free for ASEAN member countries, and second home visas. Meanwhile, Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Ni Made Ayu Marthini added that Indonesia's participation in WTM London 2022 also facilitates 36 Indonesian tourism actors consisting of travel agencies, tour operators, destination management companies, and well-known hotel chains in order to reactivate their businesses through global tourism exhibitions. The tourism actors offer various attractive tour packages, including Bali and five super priority tourism destinations (DPSP) that are the mainstay of the Indonesian government, such as Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and Likupang in North Sulawesi. Indonesia's participation in WTM London 2022 is targeted to bring 29,500 pax/per person with a transaction value of foreign tourists is expected to reach IDR 322.28 billion or 20.578.512 US dollars. "Citra Indonesia as a safe, comfortable, competitive tourism destination that prioritizes quality and sustainability needs to be built, so positive imaging to encourage potential European market tourists in general and the British market in particular to visit Indonesia," said Ni Made. Middle and upper class people in Europe are the main targets considering the two groups have the ability to travel long-haul (long distance) overseas next year despite the threat of recession.