Jakarta Globe, Feb 16, 2015
Jakarta. Indonesia will withdraw its offer of visa-free travel for Australian tourists after the neighboring country failed to reciprocate, Indonesia’s tourism minister confirmed on Monday.
A sailboat crosses the Bali Strait. Indonesia's idyllic beaches are a major draw card for Australian tourists each year. (Antara Photo/Zabur Karuru) |
Jakarta. Indonesia will withdraw its offer of visa-free travel for Australian tourists after the neighboring country failed to reciprocate, Indonesia’s tourism minister confirmed on Monday.
Australia
was among five countries — including Japan, China, South Korea and Russia —
that were offered a visa waiver by the government late last year as a means to
boost tourism numbers.
On Monday,
however, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said Australia would now not be included.
“Indonesia
offers visa-free travel to countries that can offer us the same things,” Arief
said. “Australia requires a visa for every foreign tourist to enter the
country.”
“That means
they won’t ever offer Indonesian tourists visa-free travel, even though we
offer it to them.”
The
minister said the two countries could not reach an agreement and could not
force the issue.
Indonesia
has set an ambitious goal of doubling foreign visitor numbers to 20 million per
year by 2019, and waiving the 30-day visa on arrival for select countries was
one of the policies aimed at boosting visitors.
With over a
million visitors last year, Australia is a key source of tourists to Indonesia.
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