Indonesia Reaffirms Commitment to Boost Digital Tourism at APEC Forum

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the tourism sector through digital innovation, community empowerment, support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and cross-border collaboration during the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting (TMM13) held in Macau, China, on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said digital transformation is key to building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism sector across the Asia-Pacific region.

"As a country undergoing rapid digital transformation, Indonesia believes that the convergence of smart technology and community-centric collaboration is the right approach to building a resilient, inclusive, and integrated tourism ecosystem across the region," Widiyanti said in an official statement on Monday, June 29, 2026.

She said tourism serves not only as a driver of economic growth but also as a catalyst for digital innovation and sustainable development in the region. At the meeting, held under the theme "Digital and Intelligent Innovation, Collaborative Empowerment: Leveraging Tourism for an Asia-Pacific Community," Indonesia reaffirmed its support for the implementation of the APEC Tourism Strategic Plan 2025–2029, the Putrajaya Vision 2040, and policies aimed at facilitating travel across APEC economies.

Indonesia also presented three priorities to accelerate digital transformation in the tourism sector across the region. The first is strengthening the digital ecosystem for tourism MSMEs by improving access to digital infrastructure and enhancing business capacity, so that local communities can directly benefit from tourism-driven economic growth.

The second is promoting smart destination management. During the meeting, Widiyanti introduced Tourism 5.0, featuring MaiA, an AI-powered digital travel planner designed to enhance destination visibility while providing more personalized travel experiences. The third priority is improving digital literacy among tourism workers through capacity-building programs to help the workforce adapt to technological advancements.

Widiyanti also called on APEC member economies to ensure that digital transformation remains inclusive by narrowing the digital literacy gap and expanding public access to tourism-related economic opportunities. As one example, Indonesia proposed expanding the use of the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) across APEC economies to facilitate cross-border transactions, strengthen economic connectivity, and broaden market access for local businesses.

"Indonesia is ready to collaborate with all APEC economies to build a tourism future that is technologically advanced, resilient, inclusive, and ensures that no one is left behind," she said.

The TMM13 meeting was attended by delegations from the 21 APEC member economies. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chair of TMM13, China's Minister of Culture and Tourism, issued the Chair's Statement, reflecting the shared views and consensus of member economies. Mexico was also announced as the host of the next APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in 2028.