The move comes as Jakarta seeks to boost a faltering economy, which is growing at five-year lows, and to attract more foreign income as the rupiah rapidly weakens. The country currently only allows tourists from 15 countries, mostly in Southeast Asia, to visit without a visa. People from a number of other countries can buy a tourist visa on arrival.
The 30 countries added to the list are mainly European, but also include China and several others in Asia, the United States, and some nations in the Middle East and Africa, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said.
”People who want to travel to Indonesia won’t need to worry
”We hope that we can attract an additional one million foreign tourists,” he added, saying the policy could bring in an extra $1 billion a year and he hoped it would come into effect next month.