Batam Free Visa: China, Korea, Japan, India Travel

Here’s a summary of⁤ the key facts from the provided text:

Batam is seeking visa-free entry: The Batam administration is requesting the Indonesian Immigration and Corrections ⁣Ministry to allow tourists⁤ from China, South Korea, Japan, and India ⁤to enter without⁤ a visa.
Current visa policy is a barrier: The current visa-on-arrival (VoA) costs Rp 500,000 (US$30.45) and is seen as hindering tourism recovery.
Focus on key markets: the administration especially wants visa-free access for tourists from South Korea and‍ China, as they were significant visitors before the pandemic.
Tourism numbers ‍are recovering, but slow: While foreign tourist arrivals are increasing (1.1 million in ‍2023 to 1.3 million in 2024), they haven’t reached pre-pandemic levels (1.9 million in 2019).
* Local benefit from Singapore’s vaping restrictions: A related article (linked in the text) notes that Singapore’s recent restrictions on vaping are benefiting Batam’s tourism.