Indonesia changes its strategy to attract international visitors

Indonesia is focusing on sustainable tourism and the influx of long-stay, high-spending visitors. Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said the tourism industry in the country is transitioning from 3S “Sun, Sea, Sand” (sun, sea and sand) to “Serenity, Spirituality, Sustainability” (serenity, spirit) and sustainable).

International tourists in Bali in December 2021 (Source: Reuters)

Mr. Sandiaga Uno said that this will help improve the quality of tourism and better impact the local economy. Ecotourism, sporting events and a five-year teleworker visa will attract about 3.6 million international visitors to Indonesia and create more than 1 million jobs for locals.

Indonesia’s special 5-year visa is expected to attract “digital nomads” to Bali – considered the world’s leading destination for tourism combined with remote work. This type of visa allows the holder to stay for a period of 5 years without paying taxes, if they do not earn money within the Indonesian territory. Reasonable visa policy and increased flight frequency will be the basis for Indonesia to attract employees of global companies, such as Airbnb or Twitter.

Indonesia has removed most travel restrictions, allowing fully vaccinated travelers to arrive without testing or quarantine. Tourist arrivals to Indonesia jumped nearly 500% to 111,000 in April – the highest number of visitors in a month in the country since the pandemic. However, in the first 4 months of 2022, Indonesia only attracted 185,440 international visitors.