Riau Islands Propose 7-Day Visa on Arrival to Boost Tourist Visits

TEMPO.CO, Batam - Riau Islands Province is one of the three most popular destinations for foreign tourists after Bali and Jakarta. At present, the region offers two visa schemes for tourists.

The first is the visa-free visit scheme, which is applicable to nine ASEAN countries, specifically Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. “Plus Timor Leste,” said Guntur Sakti, the head of the Riau Islands Tourism and Culture Service on Thursday, May 15.

The second scheme is the 30-day visa on arrival, obtainable by tourists from 97 countries for US$50 or roughly Rp750,000. 

“We are now proposing a third scheme, a short-term visa valid for seven days with a cost of US$10 or about Rp150,000,” said Guntur.

He emphasized that this initiative would significantly bolster the influx of foreign tourists visiting the islands.

The Riau Islands Culture and Tourism Agency recorded 377,000 foreign visits during January-March 2024, which accounts for a mere 10 percent of the target set by the Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno, aiming for three million visits in 2024.

Guntur claimed that the Tourism Ministry had notified the Finance Ministry to ratify the proposed visa scheme following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as of now, there has been no response.

The Tourism Ministry, he added, would suppress the target of foreign visits if the third visa scheme is not approved. “Pak Minister (Sandiaga Uno) continues to fight for it,” said Guntur after attending the Indonesia Tour and Travel Agency Association’s (ASITA) 13th National Conference in Batam, on Thursday, May 16.

YOGI EKA SAHPUTRA

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