JAKARTA, Indonesia: This week, Indonesia's tourism minister Sandiaga Uno said the country is considering granting visa-free entry to nationals of 20 nations to boost its tourism industry and economy.

The countries include the U.S., China, Australia, India, South Korea, Germany, Britain, and France, he added, noting the government will finalize the list of countries included in the provision within one month.

Uno said that President Joko Widodo instructed the government to consider visa waivers to boost the economy, tourism visits, and investment.

According to official data, more than 16 million foreigners visited Indonesia before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019

From January to October 2023, the country received 9.49 million foreign visitors, an increase of 124.3 percent from the same period in 2022.

Following Singapore, Indonesia is the latest nation in Southeast Asia to consider waiving visas for visitors from China, a significant travel market.

Thailand and, recently, Malaysia have also waived visas for visitors from China and India.