Indonesia, Japan Strengthen Tourism Ties Through Sales Mission 2026

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo facilitated a business meeting between Indonesian and Japanese tourism companies through the Sales Mission Japan 2026.

The event brought together nine Indonesian tourism companies and 16 Japanese counterparts.

Held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the embassy in Tokyo building, the program was organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Garuda Indonesia, with support from the embassy in Tokyo.

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia, Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir, emphasized that the initiative aims to strengthen the promotion of Indonesian tourism products.

Coinciding with Kartini Day, which commemorates the struggle for gender equality in Indonesia, the Ambassador noted that the occasion added symbolic meaning to the collaboration.

“We hope this serves as a motivating momentum to further enhance Indonesia-Japan tourism cooperation,” she said on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Nurmala highlighted the strong enthusiasm among participants, with around 50 representatives from both countries attending. She pointed out that tourism exchanges between Indonesia and Japan continue to grow steadily.

In 2025, approximately 380,000 Japanese tourists visited Indonesia, a 12 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, around 680,000 Indonesian tourists traveled to Japan during the same period.

“These figures give us optimism that tourism cooperation between the two nations will keep expanding,” she added.

Echoing this optimism, Assistant Deputy for International Tourism Marketing II at the Ministry of Tourism, Yulia, said the diversity of industries present reflects the strength of Indonesia’s tourism ecosystem.

She highlighted wellness tourism as a particularly relevant segment for the Japanese market, given Japan’s strong awareness of health, quality of life, and interest in authentic cultural experiences.

“Indonesia, with its natural wealth, traditions, and unmatched hospitality, is well-positioned to meet these demands," Yulia said.

"We hope this Sales Mission becomes a strategic step in strengthening Indonesia’s presence in the Japanese tourism market,” Yulia added.

Indonesia and Japan had previously signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Japan in March 2026.

The agreement covers areas such as: promotion and development of tourism products (wellness, gastronomy, marine tourism, ecotourism, and cultural tourism) as well as destination management and sustainable tourism development, including support for village tourism. (Diffa Sephiawardhani/Sri Wahyuni)