|
The
decision, effective immediately, follows the successful
implementation of a quarantine waiver this month for visitors
vaccinated against COVID-19 on the islands of Bali, Batam, and
Bintan, minister Sandiaga Uno told a news conference.
"With the handling of the pandemic more controlled ...today we
announce that the policy of no quarantine has been expanded
across Indonesia," said Sandiaga, adding a negative COVID test
would still be required.
The waiver follows similar moves by Thailand, the Philippines,
Vietnam, Cambodia and lately, Malaysia, as countries seek to
rebuild travel sectors that have collapsed under tight
restrictions.
Sandiaga said detailed regulations could be published on
Tuesday.
A visa-on-arrival policy is in effect in Bali covering 42
countries, with an exemption for visitors from Southeast Asian
nations. It was not immediately clear if those rules would apply
beyond Bali.
A senior minister last week said the visa-on-arrival would be
expanded to include the capital Jakarta and Surabaya.
About 143,700 foreign tourists came to Indonesia in January, up
13.6% from a year earlier, although the number was far below
pre-pandemic levels, which were typically above 1 million each
month.
Sandiaga said the government had yet to revise its target for
1.8 million to 3.6 million visitors this year, but said he was
"fairly optimistic that there will be an upside surprise".
(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Martin Petty)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
