The association has proposed a free visa facility for South Korean, Australian, and Indian tourists.
"We are still waiting for the three countries to be added to the list of countries that are (allowed visa-free) visit (to Indonesia)," she remarked here on Saturday.
The proposal was submitted to the government following the implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 59 of 2024 that added Colombia, Hong Kong, and Suriname to the list of countries allowed visa-free travel to Indonesia.
The visa-free visit policy is deemed important to increase the number of foreign tourists, especially from countries with huge potential, such as South Korea, Australia, and India.
So far, tourists from the three countries have shown high interest in tourist destinations in Indonesia, but the visa requirement process becomes an obstacle that reduces the number of visits.
"We have been working together with related stakeholders for a long time, and they have also listened to our concerns and followed up on them for a long time," Betty remarked.
"We still hope that our efforts can eventually be realized and have a positive impact on tourism in the Riau Islands," she noted.
The tourism sector is one of the main economic drivers in the Riau Islands.
The inclusion of three countries to the visa-free visit list is expected to increase foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia.
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Translator: Amandine Nadja, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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