Indonesia wants Chinese tourists to look beyond Bali holidays, mulls visa waiver

“Top of mind for Chinese tourists is still Bali,” Sandiaga said in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China.

“But increasingly, these younger Chinese tourists would like to experience the other three S of sun, sea and sand – into serenity, spirituality and sustainability,” he added. So the government is developing “Bali experiences” on many other islands to bring in 1.3 million visitors from China this year.

While Chinese tourist spending is expected to rebound beyond pre-pandemic levels this year, Indonesia is losing out to neighbours Thailand and Singapore that offer visa waivers for short visits.

Indonesia will finalise visa waivers for more countries before the change of government in October, said Sandiaga. He previously said that the visa-free entry policy will be expanded to 20 more nationalities, including China, the US and India.

Sandiaga is also expecting tourists to spend more. Visitors used to spend about US$900 per person before the pandemic, now they’re doling out about US$1,600. “So we’re looking at more quality tourist arrival, people who stay longer and people who spend on the local economy,” he added.