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Indonesia proposes visa-free arrivals for 20 countries, including India

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has announced visa-free entries for travellers from India and 19 other countries.

Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Tourism Minister of Indonesia said that the move would boost domestic consumption, attract investment and support the development of the digital economy.

Making the announcement Uno said, “The Ministry proposed 20 countries with the highest (number of) foreign tourists, except for those with existing visa exemptions.”

“The provision is expected to increase foreign tourist visits which will generate a multiplier effect,” he added. According to him, the move would boost domestic consumption, attract investment and support the development of the digital economy.

“We are targeting quality tourists, especially those with longer stays and higher spending in the local economy,” he pointed out.

The 20 countries include Australia, China, India, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

From October this year, Indonesia has been witnessing a slight recovery, with the country receiving 9.49 million foreign footfalls, which is double than the 5.47 million people that visited the country last year.But this is still less than the more than the country’s pre-pandemic peak, however.

Indian tourists made up the second-largest group of arrivals to Bali, with 77.88 thousand arrivals.

Indonesia mulls visa waiver for 20 countries, including India

Indonesia is considering the possibility of granting visa-free entry to citizens from 20 countries, including the United States, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Germany, Britain, and France, in an effort to boost tourism and bolster its economy.

The government aims to finalise the list of countries within the next month, as per an official statement.
Minister Sandiaga Uno revealed that the President has directed the government to explore visa waivers as a strategy to enhance economic growth, attract more tourists, and encourage investment.

According to official data, there were more than 16 million foreign arrivals in Indonesia in pre-pandemic 2019.
In the period from January to October this year, the country experienced a significant surge with 9.49 million foreign visitors, marking a 124.3 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Indonesia follows the trend in Southeast Asia by considering visa exemptions for Chinese travelers, a key market, following Singapore’s recent announcement of a 30-day mutual visa exemption with China set to take effect early next year.

Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia have also eliminated visa requirements for visitors from India recently.

 

November Sees Record Tourist Surge in Sri Lanka; India Contributes 20%

November marked a significant milestone for Sri Lanka, with 151,496 international tourists arriving—a peak for 2023, as per the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). This surge surpassed the 150,000 mark for the first time since December 2019, a milestone highlighted by the SLTDA.

The cumulative count for the initial 11 months of the year stands at 1.27 million tourist arrivals, according to SLTDA figures. India contributed around 20 percent of the total influx, alongside notable visitor numbers from Russia, Germany, Britain, Australia, China, the United States, and France.

Tourism holds a pivotal position in Sri Lanka’s economy as a top foreign revenue source. To stimulate future tourism, the government decided to waive visa fees for citizens from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan toward the end of November.

Vietnam's_Ha_Long_Bay

Vietnam may allow visa-free entry for Indians

After Sri Lanka and Thailand, Vietnam may be the next country to allow visa-free entry for Indians, according to a report by the Vietnamese news agency VnExpress. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung has called for short-term visa waivers for major markets like China and India to drive tourism recovery. At a conference chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently, he also suggested waivers for visitors from wealthy countries such as Australia, Canada, the U.S., and the remaining 20 members of the 27-member EU. Currently, only nationals of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland can enter Vietnam without a visa. The proposal for expanding the visa exemption is a bid to boost tourism on several occasions even as Southeast Asian countries are racing to attract foreign visitors with friendly visa policies. Vietnam currently waives visas for nationals of 25 countries.

Destination DC records 21.9 million visitors; launches new advertising campaign

India emerges as number three international market for 2022

Against the backdrop of a fresh advertising campaign, Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC, announced visitation is trending towards a return to pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, the city welcomed 21.9 million visitors, including 1.2 million international visitors. That means domestic visitation has rebounded to 91 percent of pre-pandemic figures, while international visitation has rebounded to 60 percent.

Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of DDC, revealed the tourism industry’s continued recovery during the organization’s annual Marketing Outlook Meeting, held at the Warner Theatre. City leaders, stakeholders and hundreds of representatives from local tourism and hospitality businesses were present.

“We knew domestic travellers would return quicker than those from international markets, and when domestic travellers are considering where to spend their money, the data tells us DC is a top choice,” said Ferguson. “The data also tells us we must continue enticing international travellers to return. With support from the tourism recovery district legislation, we will continue to win back global travellers with higher spending potential. That matters because visitors directly support local jobs and contribute to the quality of life for residents.”

International visitors typically comprise seven percent of total visitation but account for 27 percent of spending. The 1.2 million international visitors represent a 279 percent year-to-year increase. Top international markets included the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, India, France, Brazil, Mexico (by air), China, South Korea and Australia. DDC plans to increase its representation in select markets in the next fiscal year, starting with Brazil and Mexico.

“We are excited to bring the ‘There’s Only One Washington, DC’ campaign to India, which was designed with our international markets in mind, as it resonates globally. India is our number three international market for 2022, and we know that investing further via this campaign strategy is critical to successfully increasing India visitation to Washington, DC. We are working alongside our in-market firm, Indiva Marketing, to execute plans that showcase Washington, DC’s unique offerings like the city’s free things to do, world-class dining, arts and culture, parks and more.” said Ferguson

DDC also announced plans to sustain the positive momentum, nationwide and abroad, by previewing a new advertising campaign: “There’s Only One DC.” The branding positions the destination as wholly unique. DC matches other world-class cities in dining, nightlife, arts, culture, sports, theater, outdoor activities and green spaces. But no other destination in the country can compete with DC’s monuments, museums, memorials and free things to do. The campaign will officially launch Nov. 1.

“As we celebrate progress in bringing visitors back to DC, and the jobs and opportunities those visitors create, we are also excited to support Destination DC’s new ‘There’s Only One DC’ campaign,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. “It is true: there is only one place in the world like Washington, DC. Only one place where you can visit the White House during the day and then go to Ben’s Chili Bowl at night. Only one place where you can go to Cedar Hill and then to Sycamore & Oak in one trip. And only one place where you can take in the history of our nation while celebrating and enjoying the culture of the 700,000 Washingtonians who call DC home.”

Germany earmarks INR 4.5cr for marketing in India

Germany has earmarked an investment of about INR 4.5 crore on marketing activities in India, to showcase itself as the preferred destination to Indian tourists. Germany is also working to speed up the visa process, which is still taking up to eight weeks, said Georg Enzweiler, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy.

“Visa is an important issue and getting better with application times is important, but sometimes bureaucracy takes time. To cope with an increased number of applications, we have increased our staff in Mumbai. It still roughly takes eight weeks right now to get a visa and we are hoping this will get better, But bureaucracy takes time,” he said.

He added that the country had a disproportionately higher number of tourist applications from India since it is one of the most popular nations in the Schengen countries. As a result, it has changed rules for visa application from India. Unlike earlier, those travelling can apply for a visa from any domestic centre from the VFS Global offices around the country.