In the future, it is expected that the use of this application can be further (extended) to more countries that (have adopted the) VoA because the ease of documentation and administration truly affects tourists' desire to visit or vacation in a countJakarta (ANTARA) - The electronic visa on arrival (e-VoA) application offers convenience and efficiency to international tourists because, when using the app, they no longer need to exchange their currency into rupiah to pay for VoA, according to Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno in his remarks during The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno.
"So, the available transaction channels (are either) credit cards or debit cards that are included in the Visa or Mastercard network," he said in a statement on Friday
The application has been launched by the Law and Human Rights Ministry as a means to support the progress of Indonesian tourism as well as to ensure that the G20 Summit goes well.
The application is also touted to make it easier for international tourists to make VoA payments before arriving in Indonesia.
The e-VoA facility will be implemented in stages by prioritizing VoA services at Soekarno Hatta Airport and I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport. In the initial stage, e-VoA will only be made available to international tourists arriving from the top 26 VoA-using countries.
Foreigners using the VoA facility will be charged Rp500 thousand (US$32). Their visas will be valid for up to 30 days and may be extended once by an additional 30 days.
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"In the future, it is expected that the use of this application can be further (extended) to more countries that (have adopted the) VoA because the ease of documentation and administration truly affects tourists' desire to visit or vacation in a country," Sandiaga Uno observed.
He said he is optimistic that the number of international tourists visiting Indonesia will continue to increase and reach the upper limit of the target of 1.8 million–3.6 million. His optimism is based on an increase in international tourist visits to various national destinations.
In September 2022, international tourist visits increased to 538 thousand, or up 10.8 percent compared to the same period in 2021. The incoming travelers originated from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and the UK. In comparison to August 2022, international tourist visits increased by 5.5 percent in September.
"This means that in September, we continued a very positive trajectory. (Coupled) with the achievements in September 2022, it means that the total number (of tourist visits) throughout 2022 is 2.4 million visitors," he pointed out.
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If international tourist visits remain at a level of 500 thousand per month for three months--October, November, and December--the upper target for international tourist visits of 3.6 million in 2022 could be met.
"I started to speculate because I am happy to see future trends. If, for example, we can keep the rate of 500 thousand (international tourist arrivals) in October, November, and December each, then we will get an additional 1.5 million; coupled with 2.4 million, we are likely to get some 3.9 million and hopefully, 4 million. Above our target, at the upper limit," Uno said.
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Translator: M Baqir I A, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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