Anthony Albanese, Australia's new Prime Minister,
merely took office on May 23rd, yet he is already conducting key trade,
environment, and visa-related discussions in Indonesia.
On Monday, June 6th, Albanese and his group will speak
with President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java. One
of the most contentious issues on the agenda will be the establishment of a
reciprocal visa agreement between Australian and Indonesian residents. Before
the pandemic, Australian visitors accounted for more than a quarter of all
international visitors to Bali.
Although Indonesia has expanded its visa-on-arrival
scheme to include Australian visitors, the process is expensive and
time-consuming. The visa on arrival costs IDR 500,000 (about AUD 48). The
procedure for Indonesian citizens visiting Australia is demanding, and some
find it very upsetting.
Indonesian visitors must apply for a visa prbeforeeparture
and answer probing questions. They must also pay AUD 140 for the procedure,
which does not ensure a visa and is a significant financial hurdle for many
potential visitors to Australia.
Margaret Gardner, the vice-chancellor of Monash
University, told the Sydney Morning Herald that she will personally guarantee
that the visa problem is discussed during the visit. She is part of the
Australian mission to Java, where she just opened a Monash University campus.
The visa issue is causing problems for exchange students
traveling from Australia to Indonesia and vice versa. Holidaymakers and leisure
visitors bear the burden of the visa arrival cost and difficulty.
The introduction of a reciprocal visa agreement would
benefit everyone. Australian tourists, ex-pats, and digital nomads may be able
to remain and explore Bali for much longer, for free. Indonesian visitors would
be able to bypass a significant financial hurdle and enjoy everything Australia
has to offer.
It has not yet been made public whether a reciprocal
visa would be limited to tourism or would also include rights for volunteering,
doing business, and looking for a job.
As the tourist season in Bali advances, Albanese and
Jokowi may not have enough time to evaluate and execute new policies in time
for the 2022 holiday period. That may not be a bad thing. Albanese will be
eager to establish long-term ties with foreign leaders as he begins his first
term as Prime Minister. He will travel to Bali for the G20 Summit in November.
Prime Minister Albanese is reported as saying that his
first abroad travel as Australia's leader is significant and significant. There
is no doubt that Indonesia and Australia have a particular friendship. For
decades, Bali has been a favorite destination for Australian tourists. The
revival of Bali's economy following the Covid-19 outbreak is primarily reliant
on Australian visitors.
Travelers are traveling to Bali as soon as possible,
especially after Indonesia eliminated the pre-arrival PCR test for vaccinated
visitors. There are currently very few barriers for Australian visitors to
overcome before they may experience what the Island of the Gods has to offer. A
new visa procedure would eliminate any remaining obstacles for visitors to
Bali.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia's Tourism Minister, issued a
statement stating that Bali must boost airline schedules to accommodate the
increased demand from Australian visitors in particular. Airlines such as Batik
Air, Jetstar, AirAsia, and Qantas have all announced plans to boost flight
schedules during peak tourist season.
They may be delightfully pleased by the early-year
boost in demand. Reduced Covid-19 regulations, visa-on-arrival, expanded flight
schedules, and plenty of bargains on accommodation and Bali experiences will
guarantee that visitors from all over the world may return to Bali without a problem.