Indonesia to grant visa-free for tourists from China

JAKARTA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government will impose a visa-free policy for tourists from 20 countries and regions including China in an attempt to attract more foreign visitors, the country's Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said Thursday.

"The free-visa policy has been based on some considerations, including the economic impacts, the principle of reciprocity, and the security aspects," Uno told reporters after a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta.

"We will finalize the regulation one month ahead before officially enacting it," he said.

Indonesia has targeted to welcome 14 million foreign tourists in 2024 which will hopefully contribute to the country's economic value of up to 200 trillion rupiahs.

"Hopefully we can increase the number of tourist arrivals to reach the value target, specifically by targeting high spenders, and improve the local economy," Uno said. (1 U.S. dollar equals about 15,526 rupiahs)