Karisma National Event 2026 to Drive Tourism with 125 Events

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta: The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is increasingly committed to making regional events the backbone of national tourism development. The government is preparing 125 flagship events from 38 provinces through the National Event Karisma (KEN) 2026 program, which is expected to stimulate local economies evenly, not just concentrated in popular destinations.

The KEN 2026 program is designed as a strategy to strengthen the role of events as a driver of tourist movement while simultaneously opening up business opportunities for local communities and creative economy players.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana emphasized that this approach is part of the effort to build inclusive and sustainable tourism.

"Regional events are no longer positioned solely as cultural celebrations, but as instruments of development. Through KEN 2026, we are encouraging events to become drivers of the local economy, spaces for collaboration, and a means of strengthening the identity and competitiveness of destinations," said Widiyanti in Jakarta on Friday, January 23, 2026, as quoted by ministry official website.

KEN 2026 features a variety of events spanning arts and culture, culinary arts, music, and even folk carnivals. All events are curated to ensure quality implementation and a tangible impact on the surrounding community, from increasing tourist visits to economic growth in the accommodation, transportation, and MSME sectors.

According to Vinsensius Jemadu, Acting Deputy for Event Organizer Development at the Ministry of Tourism, the number of selected events at KEN 2026 is 125, compared to only 110 the previous year.

"This increase in number demonstrates the increasing capacity of regions to organize national-standard events. However, quality remains our primary focus, ensuring that each event truly provides economic benefits and is sustainable," said Vinsensius.

According to him, the curation process was carried out rigorously, taking into account aspects of conceptual innovation, marketing strategy, event management, financial governance, and economic and social impact analysis. This approach is expected to strengthen synergy between the central government, local administrations, communities, and tourism and creative economy industry players.

In addition to encouraging international tourist visits, KEN 2026 is also aimed at optimizing domestic tourist movements in line with the #DiIndonesiaAja campaign. Regional events are expected to be the primary reason tourists explore new destinations across Indonesia.

KEN 2026 was launched nationally through the official Karisma Event Nusantara digital channel. This step is part of a promotional strategy that adapts to changing audience behavior while ensuring that event-related information is widely accessible to the public and stakeholders in the regions. ***