KBRN, Jakarta: Throughout 2025, Indonesian tourism demonstrated strong and sustainable growth. This is reflected in a significant increase in international tourist visits and domestic travel.

Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa said that from January to November 2025, the cumulative number of international tourist visits to Indonesia reached 13.98 million. This figure grew by 10.44 percent compared to the same period the previous year, when 12.66 million visits were recorded.

"In terms of primary markets, foreign tourist visits to Indonesia are dominated by five countries: Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, China, and Timor-Leste. These five countries cumulatively contributed more than 56 percent of total foreign tourist visits by November 2025," Minister Widiyanti said on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, as quoted by official website of Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.

She expressed belief that this regional market dominance reflects Indonesia's strong position and underscores the need to strengthen connectivity, promotions, and service quality to reach non-traditional markets.

Foreign tourist visits primarily go through these five airports: I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Kualanamu Airport in Medan, and Yogyakarta International Airport.

"These five entry points are strategic hubs for Indonesia's international tourism connectivity and will continue to be strengthened in terms of service and arrival experience as well as integration with destinations," Widiyanti said.

The gap between the number of international tourist visits and domestic tourist trips also grew, rising from 4.52 million in January–November 2024 to 5.64 million in the same period in 2025. This situation provides a positive signal for the tourism balance and the sector's contribution to the national economy.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa also noted significant domestic tourist movement growth throughout 2025, with 1.09 billion trips recorded from January to November, far exceeding the 2025 target of 1.08 billion.

"This figure confirms the strategic role of domestic tourists as a key pillar of national tourism, especially in maintaining the stability of this sector amidst global dynamics," said Ni Luh Puspa.

However, more than 61 percent of domestic tourist trips are still concentrated in five provinces on the island of Java: East Java, West Java, Central Java, Jakarta, and Banten. Therefore, equitable distribution of tourist destinations remains a challenge.

The Ministry of Tourism continues to encourage destination diversification by strengthening priority destinations, regenerative destinations, and developing tourist villages outside Java.

Public interest in tourism increased during the year-end holiday period from December 18, 2025, to January 4, 2026. Preliminary data from the Ministry of Transportation recorded travel to the 10 priority tourism destinations and three regenerative destinations, reaching 11.81 million, a 10.95 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.

In preparation for the 2025 year-end holidays, the Ministry of Tourism took structured and coordinated policy steps. These steps included issuing circulars to regional administrations and tourism businesses with Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) and disaster management modules.

The ministry also coordinated with regional administrations to ensure the safety, comfort, and security of tourists. "We are ensuring that transportation incentive policies, particularly for airfares, benefit the public," she said.

Various national channels promote Christmas and New Year packages, including the #DiIndonesiaAja campaign and tourism exhibitions like the Proud to Travel in Indonesia Travel Fair and the Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Forum. Strengthening security, improving travel comfort, and providing quality tourism experiences are key to ensuring a smooth 2025 year-end holiday season. This will encourage tourism, increase public spending, and stimulate economic growth.

In collaboration with various stakeholders, the Ministry of Tourism launched the BINA (Belanja di Indonesia Aja) Indonesia Great Sale 2025 program during the Christmas and New Year holidays. During its implementation, the Indonesia Great Sale recorded a transaction value of approximately IDR 31 trillion.

In developing national tourism, the Minister of Tourism said the Ministry's focused on long- and short-term strategies: quality tourism. This improves tourist experience and spending, strengthening Indonesia's position as a destination.

"Our development efforts are concentrated on leading segments such as gastronomy, marine tourism, and wellness tourism. We are targeting the premium and luxury markets, which have a greater economic impact," she said.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Tourism has published a book titled "Wonderful Indonesia Diving Directory," which summarizes Indonesian diving destinations. The book is expected to serve as a comprehensive guide to diving tourism while strengthening the safety and competitiveness of Indonesian marine tourism.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti added that international achievements strengthen quality tourism. In 2025, Indonesian tourism received 153 international awards, including major recognition from La Liste France, Michelin Keys, and UN Tourism.

"These awards confirm that Indonesia's tourism reputation is at its highest level in the last decade," she said.

These efforts and achievements demonstrate that the Indonesian tourism sector is on the right track. She explained that today's growth is the result of clear policy direction, improved destination quality, and solid cross-sector synergy.

"With shared commitment and public trust, we believe tourism will help national development and represent Indonesia on the world stage," the minister said.***