Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the extension of the 10-year frequent traveller visa scheme to eligible ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste.
The announcement came during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held in Melbourne, where leaders from Laos, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste gathered.
The extension also includes prolonging the business visitor visa from three to five years.
Under the frequent traveller visa scheme, visitors are allowed to stay for up to three months on each visit. Previously, Australia had offered this scheme to Chinese tourists as part of its efforts to increase arrivals from one of the world's largest populations.
However, the influx of Chinese tourists to Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia due to visa-free policies has led Australia to reassess its strategies.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia were significant markets for Australia's inbound tourism.
In 2019, Southeast Asian visitor arrivals peaked at 1.5 million, contributing an estimated $2.7 billion to the Australian economy, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
However, with the shifting preferences of Chinese tourists and the attractiveness of neighbouring countries, Australia aims to maintain its competitiveness in the tourism sector by extending visa schemes to ASEAN nations and Timor-Leste.
