Deputy Chairwoman of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia or DPR RI) from the political party of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan or PDIP), Evita Nursanty, has urged the national government to thoroughly evaluate its visa policy for foreign tourists.
Nursanty believes Indonesia needs to strengthen its tourism competitiveness by expanding the visa-free policy to keep pace with fellow ASEAN member countries that have already implemented similar entry policies.
“We cannot afford to lose out. If neighbouring countries have already implemented visa-free visits and their visits have increased sharply [as a result], Indonesia must take similar steps to remain competitive in ASEAN and globally [as well],” she told the press on Thursday, the 20th of November.
The Commission VII of DPR RI deems Indonesia’s visa policy too restrictive as well as inconsistent with regard to the country’s goal of boosting the competitiveness of national tourism. Nursanty further observed how neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and Myanmar have already granted visa-free entry to, in particular, the tourists from major markets such as China, India, Russia, Europe, and Middle Eastern countries.
Nursanty also observed how such visa-free policies have been proven to significantly increase tourist arrivals and strengthen the local tourism industry in those aforementioned countries, which, subsequently, also benefits local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), hotels, restaurants, transportation, and creative economy players. Malaysia recorded 28 million visits in the first eight months of the year 2025, whereas Thailand reached 24 million in the first nine months of the same year.
Indonesia, in comparison, recorded 11.43 million in the first nine months of the year 2025. This figure is heavily dominated by tourists’ arrivals in Bali, while other destinations appear comparatively quiet.
“Bali is indeed busy, but don’t forget that nationally, we see that [other] tourist destinations [in Indonesia] haven’t been able to attract more foreign tourists, such as Lake Toba, Batam, Jakarta, Likupang-Manado, Lombok, Makassar, Bangka Belitung, and others,” Nursanty added.