National Tourism Records Significant Growth: Govt

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s tourism sector recorded strong growth in 2025, with significant increases in foreign arrivals, foreign exchange earnings, investment, and employment, according to Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana. She said the achievements highlight Indonesia’s growing competitiveness in the global tourism industry.

The ministry reported 13.98 million foreign tourist arrivals through November 2025, an annual increase of 10.44 percent. It projects that total arrivals could surpass 15.3 million by year-end, exceeding the target set in the Government Work Plan (RKP).

Tourism foreign exchange earnings from January to September 2025 reached USD 13.82 billion, driven largely by the rise in international visitors. “The increase in foreign tourist arrivals has been the main driver of foreign exchange earnings,” Widiyanti said during a workshop with House of Representatives Commission VII at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on January 21, 2026.

The ministry noted that foreign exchange revenue grew 9.42 percent compared to the same period last year, supported by higher average tourist spending.

Minister Widiyanti added that the surplus in arrivals could strengthen the sector’s foreign exchange balance on a sustainable basis.

Domestic tourism also showed robust growth, with 1.09 billion trips recorded between January and November 2025, up 18.95 percent year-on-year. The government views domestic tourism as the backbone of the sector’s recovery.

Employment in the tourism industry reached 25.91 million workers in 2025, including 910,000 new jobs. “We are convinced that human resources are central to tourism development,” Minister Widiyanti said.

Tourism investment flows for the first three quarters of 2025 totaled IDR 53.92 trillion, a 52.66 percent increase from the previous year. The government said the surge reflects investor confidence in Indonesia’s tourism prospects.

However, Deputy Speaker of Commission VII Evita Nursanty cautioned that the aggregate achievements do not yet reflect an even recovery across regions. She argued that tourism success cannot be measured solely by national figures and awards.

Evita pointed out that in 2019, Indonesia welcomed 16 million foreign tourists, a figure still higher than the current achievement of 14–15 million. She also noted that 70 percent of tourists remain concentrated in just three destinations: Bali, Batam, and Jakarta.

“The stagnation of priority destinations shows that the problem lies not in the designation of locations, but in their management,” she said.

Evita urged improvements in destination governance, emphasizing limited development and national tourism spatial planning. She stressed that the equitable distribution of tourism benefits remains a major challenge for ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth. (Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)