Indonesia Aligns Culture and Tourism for Global Branding

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism have agreed to strengthen collaboration in developing cultural heritage-based tourism destinations.

The agreement was reached during a meeting at the Sapta Pesona Building on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, where both ministries emphasized the importance of aligning programs to deliver tangible benefits for communities and boost the growth of the national tourism sector.

“Culture and tourism have a very close relationship. This collaboration is the key so that our cultural potential truly has an impact on increasing tourist visits,” said Minister of Culture Fadli Zon in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara.

The ministries discussed integrating data on National Cultural Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB), strengthening the cultural events ecosystem, designing travel patterns, optimizing digital promotion, and expanding cultural diplomacy at the international level.

The meeting was described as a concrete step toward building a comprehensive cultural tourism ecosystem, encompassing the protection and enhancement of assets, improvements in event quality, data integration, and global promotion.

The Ministry of Culture currently manages 313 National Cultural Heritage sites and 2,727 WBTB items, with 514 new additions recorded in 2025.

Minister Fadli noted that this potential has not yet been fully utilized as a driver of cultural, historical, religious, and culinary tourism. He stressed that packaging and narrative are essential in building a sustainable cultural tourism ecosystem.

Priority sites under management include Borobudur, Prambanan, Ratu Boko, and Plaosan, which are being developed in cooperation with InJourney. The government is also strengthening the Dieng and Muara Jambi temple complexes, including the construction of Kedaton and Koto Mahligai temples and the inauguration of the Sriwijaya Dharmakirti Museum next year.

Regarding Borobudur, Minister Fadli said visitor capacity could still be optimized. Currently, around 4,000 visitors per day are permitted to climb the main structure. “The installation of the chattra is expected to make Borobudur a living heritage with spiritual meaning and global appeal. We hope this can increase domestic and foreign tourist visits,” he said.

Minister Fadli also highlighted the potential of historical and archaeological destinations such as Banda Neira with its Spice Route narrative, colonial forts in Maluku, and the Leang-Leang caves in South Sulawesi and Leang Metanduno in Muna, which contain art dating back about 67,800 years and have been published in international scientific journals. He said these narratives of civilization and history could be developed into integrated travel patterns.

In the fields of film and visual arts, the Ministry of Culture continues to support Indonesian filmmakers’ participation in international festivals and hosts the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF). This year, Indonesia will also participate in the Venice Biennale, sending 14 artists to promote cultural diplomacy and tourism.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said her ministry is focusing on strengthening promotion and destination infrastructure, including through the indonesia.travel.id digital platform, which now features AI-based trend analysis. “We need data support and storytelling from the Ministry of Culture so that museums and cultural heritage can appear stronger on our digital platform. The younger generation looks for information online, and we must take full advantage of this,” she said.

Minister Widiyanti added that the ministry is targeting a 14 percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals, aiming for 17 million visitors. She said this requires strengthening promotion based on experience-driven tourism.

The Kharisma Event Nusantara (KEN) program, which this year includes 145 events, is expected to serve as a platform for integrating cultural events to generate abroader economic impact.

The synergy between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism is expected not only to increase tourist arrivals but also to reinforce Indonesia’s position as a center of global civilization and culture. ***