Tourism Contributes to Indonesia’s Economic Growth in the First Quarter of 2026

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s tourism sector continued to play a strategic role in supporting national economic growth during the first quarter of 2026. The Ministry of Tourism recorded increases in international tourist arrivals and tourism foreign exchange earnings, both of which contributed to the country’s economic expansion.

During a working meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta, Wednesday, 3 June 2026, Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, reported that international tourist arrivals reached 4.68 million visits between January and April 2026. The figure represented an 8.24 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Tourism foreign exchange earnings in the first quarter of 2026 reached US$4.05 billion, equivalent to Rp68.28 trillion. According to her, the achievement demonstrates that tourism remains one of the key drivers of Indonesia’s economy amid various global challenges.

Widiyanti stated that the tourism sector helped support Indonesia’s economic growth, which reached 5.61 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. “What we would like to highlight here is that this contribution has helped drive Indonesia’s economy, which grew by 5.61 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, as published by Statistics Indonesia (BPS),” she said during the meeting.

She explained that four sectors closely linked to tourism recorded significant growth during the period. “From the production perspective, four sectors related to tourism—accommodation and food services, other services, transportation and warehousing, as well as business services recorded significant growth,” she added.

The Ministry of Tourism also reported that tourism’s contribution to Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026 ranged between 4.01 percent and 5 percent. Meanwhile, tourism investment reached Rp25.34 trillion during the same period, marking a 76.67 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Chairperson of Commission VII of the House of Representatives, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, expressed support for the government’s efforts to further increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy. He said that tourism growth would have a direct impact on both state revenue and public welfare.

“We are working together to help the government generate state revenue, particularly through tourism. If our tourism sector grows, then state income will certainly improve as well,” Saleh said. He added that the benefits of tourism growth are not only enjoyed by the government but also by communities and businesses that provide tourism-related facilities and infrastructure across the country.