Tourists sit at a restaurant on Jimbaran Beach in Bali, Indonesia on Nov 12, 2022. (PHOTO / AP)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government will impose a visa-free policy for tourists from 20 countries and regions including China in an attempt to attract more foreign visitors, the country's Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said Thursday.

"The free-visa policy has been based on some considerations, including the economic impacts, the principle of reciprocity, and the security aspects," Uno told reporters after a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta.

READ MORE: ASEAN visit: HK enters 15 trade deals with Indonesia

Uno said the president had instructed the government to consider the visa waiver as a means of boosting the economy, tourism visits and investment.

From January to October this year, Indonesia received 9.49 million foreign visitors, an increase of 124.3 percent from the same period in 2022

"We will finalize the regulation one month ahead before officially enacting it," he said.

Indonesia has targeted to welcome 14 million foreign tourists in 2024 which will hopefully contribute to the country's economic value of up to 200 trillion rupiahs (about $12.9 billion).

"Hopefully we can increase the number of tourist arrivals to reach the value target, specifically by targeting high spenders, and improve the local economy," Uno said.

ALSO READ: Indonesia approves rise of 20% in defense spending through 2024

There were more than 16 million foreign arrivals in Indonesia in pre-pandemic 2019, according to official data.

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

With Reuters inputs