Batam, Riau Islands, Sept. 14 -- Batam recorded over 100,000 foreign visitors monthly from January to July 2025, prompting the city's officials to seek more flexible visa rules for tourists from Japan, Korea, China, and India.

In a press statement Saturday, Batam Tourism Head Ardiwinata said the trend bodes well for meeting the city's 2025 target of 1.7 million foreign tourists.

"If visa rules are relaxed specifically for Batam, I believe arrivals will grow even faster. Before COVID19, tourists from Korea and China surged; giving them priority could bring us back to those levels," he said.

While most visitors are still from Malaysia, the visitor profile has shifted, Ardiwinata noted.

"It used to be mostly men playing golf. Now familie...