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UNWTO praises Indonesia's visa-free travel offer

Xinhua, August 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) gave its "full support" to the decision of Indonesia to allow visa-free travel to citizens of 169 different countries and regions on Wednesday.

The new travel offer aims at simplifying travel procedures to attract more international travelers, according to the government's announcement.

The UNWTO said that the policy, which allows travelers to remain in Indonesia for a maximum of 30 days, could lead to the creation of between 333,000 and 654,000 new jobs over the next three years.

A greater freedom of movement can give an important boost to promoting sustainable growth in developing nations, according to the organization.

"Indonesia is setting an example to the world, and UNWTO welcomes the decision of the Government of Indonesia," UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai said in a communique issued on Wednesday.

"This decision clearly reflects the commitment of the country with the development of the tourism sector as a driven force of economic growth, jobs and well-being for its people," Rifai added.

UNWTO and the World Travel and Tourism Council recently launched a report on the impact of Visa facilitation for the states making up the Association of South East Asian Nations, which concluded that improved visa access could lead to between 6-10 million international tourist arrivals and generate income of between 7-12 billion U.S. dollars. Endit