Fireworks explode over the Gelora Bung Karno main stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on Aug. 18, 2018. (AFP/Jewel Samad)
A
s Indonesia sets out to host multiple international sporting events this year, the Immigration Directorate General has announced a plan to issue a special “sports visa” to help lure global sports fans into the country.
“We don’t want Indonesia to miss out on the tourism potential from the various sports events held in the country, so we plan on accommodating these sports fans with this sports visa,” Immigration Director General Silmy Karim said on Sunday as quoted by Antara.
While Silmy did not reveal the details of what this sports visa would entail, he said that the Law and Human Rights Ministry through the Immigration Directorate General plans to launch the visa by the end of March.
Immigration directorate spokesman Achmad Nur Saleh told The Jakarta Post that Silmy “will make a more detailed statement soon”, but did not reveal any concrete timeline.
Silmy’s statements come as the country is set to host multiple international sporting events in 2023.
In February, Lake Toba in North Sumatera hosted a Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship race for the first time, while the Mandalika Circuit in Lombok cemented its permanent status in the World Superbike Championship calendar after hosting its third race last week.
But the biggest test will not arrive until May when the country is scheduled to host the three-week-long 2023 U-20 FIFA World Cup across six cities.