Indonesia calls for more events to attract international tourists

Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs Airlangga Hartarto has called on tourism stakeholders to develop events combining sports, music and cultural entertainment to attract more international visitors, alongside promoting the country’s natural attractions.

His remarks were delivered by deputy minister Dradjad Hari Wibowo at the opening of the Jakarta Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Fair (WITF 2026) in Jakarta last week.

Dradjad cited Formula 1 in Singapore as an example of how sporting events and concerts featuring international music acts could attract different visitor segments.

“We believe that in addition to our natural attractiveness, we need to be able to develop more and more events attracting foreign tourism,” Airlangga said in the speech delivered on his behalf.

Expanding on the example, Dradjad highlighted the potential of combining sports and entertainment within a single event package.

“You can imagine how many people came. Those who love sports will come for the race, the ones who like music will come for the concerts, and those who like both will enjoy them all,” Dradjad said.

He added that tourism stakeholders needed to work together to address challenges in organising such events.

Beyond attracting visitors, Airlangga also highlighted government efforts to strengthen tourism infrastructure and operations, including the development of eight tourism-focused special economic zones, destination management, digital event permits, tourism safety and seasonal financing.

He stressed that government initiatives required private-sector participation to create employment opportunities, attract investment and strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesia’s tourism industry.

The call comes amid geopolitical tensions, rising operating costs and inflation affecting travel and investment.

“We gather amid persistent global uncertainty, with geopolitical tensions, rising costs, pricing pressures, and financial volatility straining travel and investment,” Airlangga said in the speech delivered by Dradjad.

Airlangga cited Indonesia’s economic performance as a factor supporting tourism development. According to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the economy grew by 5.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 and 5.29 per cent in the second quarter, placing Indonesia among the G20 economies with the highest growth rates. Inflation stood at 3.28 per cent, while tourism investment grew by 7.2 per cent to 110.5 trillion rupiah (US$6.8 billion), with more than half directed outside Java.

“These fundamentals strengthen business confidence and provide stable conditions for Indonesia’s tourism development,” he said.

Airlangga also outlined a target of 16 million to 17.6 million international arrivals and a tourism contribution of 4.5 to 4.7 per cent of GDP in 2026.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s minister of tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana reported that the country received 10.58 million international visitors between January and August 2026, up 5.38 per cent year-on-year. Tourism generated US$8.43 billion in foreign exchange earnings during the first half of the year.

Widiyanti said the sector needed to adapt its promotion and tourism products to changing market conditions, with a focus on nature, wellness, gastronomy and marine tourism.

“In an increasingly dynamic global environment, we need to be more adaptive in how we promote Indonesia, strengthen our engagement with international partners, and ensure that our tourism products continue to respond to changing market dynamics,” she said.