Indonesia lifts visas for Poles

As part of an initiative to boost tourism, Indonesia has lifted visas for 45 countries, including Poland. Peter F. Ghonta, the Indonesian Ambassador to Poland, told Rzeczpospolita that the goal is to increase the number of Polish tourists fivefold. According to the new regulations, Polish tourists will be able to stay in Indonesia visa free for up to 30 days. However, this is only applicable through entry at nine specific border crossings, including the airports in Java, Jakarta, Denpasar and Bali, among others. The Indonesian government hopes this relaxation in visa requirements will increase the number of foreign tourists to 10 million annually. A total of 15,600 Polish tourists visited Indonesia in 2013. Approximately 9.44 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia in 2014, up by 7 percent from the previous year. In 2015, the government expects revenue from tourism to pass USD 11 billion.