REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government hopes to lure more foreign tourists to the country in a bid to make up for the shrinking state income amid the global slump.

The U.N. World Tourism Organization ((UN-WTO) said a significant growth of 4 percent was recorded in the number of foreign tourists in the world in the first half of 2015 despite severe blows with security problem and diseases that hit many countries of destination in Africa.

Around 538 million tourists traveled to international destinations from January to June in 2015 or 21 million larger than in the same period last year, Madrid-based agency said.

Tourism objects in Indonesia, which is rich in natural beauty are among the best sellers in the world, but the potential has been left largely idle so far on a number of factors.

Lately the government has adopted a more liberal visa policy offering visa free travel to tourists from more countries.

"Visa free travel is one of the easiest ways of luring more tourists to the country," an official has been quoted as saying.

The government has announced to offer visa free travel to short term visitors to 47 more countries to be effective next month.

The additional 47 countries would bring the number to 92 countries from which tourists would no longer need visa in order to enjoy all tourist objects in the country.

Earlier this year the government already raised the number from 30 to 45 countries offered the facility.

Originally 50 countries were proposed to added to the list of countries offered the visa free facility, but five countries with drug, instability and radicalism reputation were cut from the number, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli said.

The number was reduced to 45 countries plus Vatican and San Marino , Rizal said at a meeting with related ministers including Tourism Minister Arief Yahya and other related state officials.

When the country offered the facility to 30 countries , the number of foreign tourists visiting the country surged 15 percent as against annual growth of only 4 percent in years before.

"Evaluation in the first phase was very positive," Rizal said.

He said the facility was made effective in October to coincide with the start of year end holidays, he said.

"Originally it was to be effective in January, 2016, but we don't have no reason to wait too long. We will miss the peak season if it is to be in January," he said.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the government projected that the number of foreign tourists visiting the country would grow 20 percent to follow the visa free travel facility in the first and second phases.

"We hope there would be an increase of one million to two million in number of foreign tourists a year or 20 percent of our target," he added.

Arief attributed the policy of visa free travel to 60 percent of the number of foreign tourists visiting the country.

The government also would build 10 of 222 tourist areas.

"We decide to be focused on development of 10 tourist destination areas and objects including Lake Toba in North Sumatra, the Thousand Islands off Jakarta, Mount Bromo of East Java, Labuan Bajo of East Nusa Tenggara, Mandalika of West Nusa Tenggara, Morotai of Maluku, Yogyakarta, Wakatobi of Southeast Sulawesi, Belitung off South Sumatra and Tanjung Lesung of Banten.

Development of the 10 locations would need a budget from the Transport Ministry and the Public Works and Housing Ministry , Rizal said.

Rizal said an agreement was reached at the meeting on the budget needed for the development of the 10 locations, but he gave no details.

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said his ministry is responsible in development of road and other infrastructure to support development of the touriam sector.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said development of the 10 location is in line with the priority scale of the transport ministry and the public works and housing ministry.

"Certainly all would be built but based on the priority scheme. This year ten locations would be built and tens more every year to come," he said.

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