"God willing, in the near future, a reduction in VoA fees will be announced, not only for Singaporean or ASEAN tourists but also for expatriates visiting Riau Islands.  It will be at more affordable rate," he said working visit to Lagoi, Bintan Regency in Riau Islands, on Sunday (17/9/2023). Minister Sandiaga said that the goal of the VoA fee reduction was to extend the duration of foreign tourists stay in Riau Islands. "We expect foreign tourists to come to Riau Islands and visit local tourist villages, so that tourism operators and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises can also reap the economic impact," he stated. Abdul Wahab, Chief Operating Officer of Bintan Resort Cakrawal (BRC), the manager of the Lagoi tourism area, said that tourist visits to Bintan Island remain sluggish post-COVID-19. From January to August 2023, as many as 343,848 tourist arrivals were recorded, significantly lower than the 1,272,508 tourists in 2019. One of the reasons of this decline is the existing VoA fee structure, which imposes a Rp500,000 per person fee for a 30-day visa, which does not align with the typical 3-4 day visits of tourists to Lagoi, Bintan Island. Abdul Wahab suggested that a short-term visa with lower fees would be more suitable for tourists coming to Lagoi. Governor of Riau Islands Ansar Ahmad said that his administration has proposed fee reductions for VoA, particularly in tourist areas in his province, comparing to tourist destinations like Phuket in Thailand, which effectively attracts tourists due to their lenient visa regulations.