Indonesia drops visas for Poles
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
15.06.2015 11:55
Poles can now travel to Indonesia for up to 35 days without a visa, following the signing of new legislation by President Joko Widodo.
Balinese dancers take part in a parade to mark the opening of the annual Bali Art Festival at a main road in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, 13 June 2015. EPA/MADE NAG
As many as 45 countries are included in the latest visa-waiver drive.
“We want to increase the number of tourists from Poland by as many as five times,” Indonesian Ambassador in Poland Peter F. Ghonta commented in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
According to government data, 15,600 Poles visited Indonesia in 2013, with popular destinations including Bali and Java.
However, Ghonta believes that many more could be convinced to come.
“Why do three or four times as many Poles travel to Thailand than to Indonesia?
“This is our fault,” he reflected.
“We are not promoting our country in a sufficient way,” he added.
Those taking advantage of the visa-waiver system must enter the country at one of nine specific points. These include Java's Jakarta International Airport and Bali's Denpasar International Airport. (nh)