Indonesia Planning Visa-Free Entry For Indians - India Report

12.07.2024 - 19:05 / skift.com / Bulbul Dhawan

Indonesia is planning to introduce visa-free entry for tourists from 20 nations, including India. The country’s tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, has announced that the policy is in the works and it will be finalized before October this year. The move aims to boost international tourism in Indonesia, Uno said. 

Apart from India, Indonesia is planning to allow visa waiver to Australia, China, Japan, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and more. 

A similar move was under consideration by the Indonesian government last year and it was expected to be in place by January. 

Indian Tourists in Indonesia: According to Indonesia’s official statistics portal – BPS-Statistics Indonesia – in 2023, over 600,000 Indian tourists visited the country, making India one of the top 10 largest source markets. 

Data from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows that between January and March this year, over 30,000 passengers from India departed to Indonesia. 

Currently, Indian tourists wanting to visit Indonesia can obtain a visa on arrival either online or at Indonesian airports. 

Visa Waivers for Indians: If Indonesia gives a go-ahead to the policy, it will join Thailand, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Malaysia in its visa waivers to India. 

Apart from this, South Africa, Vietnam, and Russia are also considering allowing visa waivers to Indian travelers. 

The domestic air passenger traffic in India witnessed a decline in June. According to credit ratings agency ICRA Limited, in June, roughly 13.3 million passengers traveled within the country, making a decline of about 4% from 13.8 million in May. However, the month also witnessed a 6.3% increase in comparison to June 2023.

June also saw a monthly decline of 3% in airlines’ capacity deployment from May, but this figure was 7% higher than June 2023 capacity, ICRA noted. 

The agency’s outlook on the Indian aviation industry was stable as the domestic and international air passenger traffic continued to recover, it said. “Moreover, the industry witnessed improved pricing power, reflected in the higher yields (over pre-Covid levels) and, thus, the revenue per available seat kilometre–cost per available seat kilometre (RASK–CASK) spread of the airlines. The momentum in air passenger traffic witnessed in FY2024 is expected to continue into FY2025,” ICRA said. 

The market size of the Indian medical tourism market is increasing at an annual rate of 19%, according to a report by market research firm Report Ocean. The report noted that the market would hit $25 billion by 2029, up from $7.42 billion in 2022. 

According to the report, affordable high-quality healthcare services along with high-end medical technologies