The Ministry Ready to Regulate Unlicensed Online Travel Agent platforms

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Communication and Digital is ready to regulate unlicensed Online Travel Agent (OTA) platforms to ensure tourist safety, protect regional revenue, and create fair business competition for rule-abiding tourism operators.

This step is taken in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, after many accommodations were found to be marketed online without official permission. Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid emphasized that the protection of tourists and the interests of local communities are the top priorities.

"Our focus is to protect the interests of the community and the region. We must ensure that local governments and residents, who should benefit from taxes for development, do not lose out because they are not registered, and the profits end up going to other countries," Meutya conveyed during a visit from Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana at the Ministry of Komdigi Office, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

Meutya explained that the proliferation of private accommodations, such as villas owned by foreign nationals without permits, has harmed the local economy. Therefore, Meutya emphasized that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kemkomdigi) is ready to take firm action against digital platforms that facilitate such illegal practices, ranging from warning sanctions to access termination (takedown).

"For OTAs that have not registered as Electronic System Providers (PSE), we can immediately cut off access. Meanwhile, for those that are already registered but continue to market illegal accommodations that do not comply with tourism regulations, we are waiting for sanction recommendations from the Ministry of Tourism," Meutya said.

Tourism Minister, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said that the tourism sector is one of the driving forces of the national economy, generating foreign exchange amounting to Rp317.2 trillion in 2025 and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product by around 3.97 to 4.8 percent.

The collaboration between the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kemkomdigi) and the Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) in regulating unlicensed OTAs is also one of the efforts to support the President's vision of increasing economic growth to reach the target of 8 percent by 2029.

Minister Widiyanti presented the results of supervision in five key provinces, namely Bali, West Java, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and NTB, which found that 72.8 percent of the supervised accommodations did not have a Business Identification Number (NIB).

"This condition creates unhealthy business competition for hotels and accommodations that pay taxes because these villas can be cheaper. They do not pay taxes, so we lose national and regional revenue," Widiyanti stated.

The Ministry of Tourism has set a deadline until March 31, 2026, for all OTA platforms to regulate unlicensed accommodations on their platforms. Widiyanti emphasized that only officially licensed accommodations are allowed to operate on these platforms to ensure the safety and security of tourists.