Relief for tourists as Bali scraps controversial visa fee for Aussies
Indonesia's Visa on Arrival was scrapped back in 2016 but was reinstated after Covid. Now the government is again set to grant visa-free entry to Australians.
Indonesia is set to waive the controversial $50 Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) tourist fee for Australians in the coming months, in a move set to make holidaying in the country cheaper for families. The country — the world's largest archipelago state — is a major hotspot for travellers, with the island of Bali especially popular.
Although it is yet to bounce back to pre-pandemic tourism rates, millions still pass through every year with more than seven million tourists expected to visit Bali in 2024. The VoA was scrapped in 2016, resulting in record arrivals to Bali from Australia, but was reinstated after Covid.
Last December, the Indonesian ministry proposed 20 countries be granted visa free entry to boost visitor numbers and stimulate the economy. Australia is on the list and the Indonesian government is now expected to make the changes by October.
Visa-on-arrival fee controversial from the start
According to the president of the Perth-based Indonesia Institute, Robbie Gaspar, Indonesia is aware visa fees may have deterred some tourists. He said the coming change will make a holiday to Bali significantly cheaper for families.
"We understand that Indonesia's Minister for Tourism, Sandi Uno, will recommend that some 20 countries, including Australia, will be given visa-free entry into Indonesia, including Bali, before October when the nation's new president is inaugurated," Gaspar told The West Australian.
"This will make it cheaper for Aussie families and we therefore expect to see another jump in the number of holidaymakers heading to our favourite island". For a family of four, for instance, this could represent a saving of $200.
Travellers struggling to keep up with Bali's various tourist levies
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, personal finance expert at Finder, Sarah Megginson, said the $50 fee, while on its own is not excessive, can quickly add up for larger families. "In the context of spending thousands of dollars on an overseas holiday, a $50 visa in itself for a single traveller is probably not enough to deter someone from going to Bali," she told Yahoo.
"But if you're travelling as a family — as I was in 2022, going to Bali as a family of five — this fee becomes pretty significant. And it can start to make the idea of an alternative like Fiji seem really enticing!
"I travelled to Bali in July 2022 and I didn't know about the charge as it was relatively new at the time, so it was a fairly unwelcome surprise at the airport. We had to pay using a credit card as we weren't prepared for it, and the Indonesian government charges a three per cent card processing fee. Once the currency exchange fee was processed as well, it ended up costing us about $270."
Meggison said when it comes to Bali, travellers value consistency, and she questioned whether the hotspot's various fees would deter prospective holidayers.
"Travellers really value consistency. You want to go on an adventure and you might value spontaneity once you're on your holiday, but when you're planning, it really helps to know what the costs are and what you're budgeting for," she said.
Bali visitors also slugged with a $15 tourist tax
"The Indonesian government is scrapping its $50 fee, but earlier this year we saw Bali introduce a new tourist tax of roughly $15 per person. With so many changes, it can be hard for travellers to keep up," Meggison continued.
"Bali has become a magnet for domestic and international travellers and this creates both benefits and drawbacks. Tourism is central to their economy — tourism is Bali's main economic driver, and Bali is the centre of Indonesia's tourism industry — but this has come at a cost, creating a strain on the island's resources and cultural identity.
"The decision to add tourism taxes was made with the aim of preserving the island's environment and culture from mass tourism."
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