Mount Merapi Becomes Top Destination During Lebaran 2026

RRI.CO.ID, Sleman - The rugged landscapes of Mount Merapi have emerged as the premier draw for travelers during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holidays, outpacing even the region’s world-renowned temple complexes.

Data released by the Sleman Tourism Agency on Thursday, March 26, 2026, indicates that the volcanic slopes are currently the focal point of a massive tourism surge in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

While the iconic Candi Prambanan on the border of Sleman and Klaten Regencies remained packed with visitors on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, it was the "Lava Tour" and bunker attractions in Kaliadem that captured the largest share of the holiday crowd. According to Head of Tourism Marketing for the Sleman Tourism Agency, Kus Endarto the movement of people across the subdistrict’s various sites has already reached six figures.

"Very provisional data from several destinations as of Tuesday shows the movement of tourists during the 2026 Lebaran holiday at 188,198 movements; from that number, the Kaliadem tourist destination on the slopes of Merapi remains the favorite destination," said Kus Endarto in Sleman, as quoted by Antara.

The appeal of the volcano’s dramatic terrain appears to have a slight edge over traditional cultural heritage sites this season. Endarto noted that based on these early figures, the Kaliadem area, which includes popular Jeep tours and the historic Kaliadem Bunker, accounted for 32.89 percent of total visits.

"Meanwhile, other favorite destinations, namely temple tourism managed by PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) or InJourney Destination Management (IDM), namely Prambanan Temple and Ratu Boko Palace, amounted to 31.80 percent, and the Kaliurang natural tourism area was at 23.37 percent," he said.

The demographic profile of the holidaymakers remains overwhelmingly domestic, with tourists from neighboring provinces fueling the majority of the growth. Endarto explained that domestic travelers make up 98.76 percent of the total, with 35.5 percent arriving from Central Java, 32.5 percent from East Java, and 27 percent from West Java, Jakarta, and Banten, while the remainder traveled from outside Java.

This influx reached its zenith earlier in the week, marking a significant milestone for local hospitality and management services. "The peak of tourist movement in Sleman Regency occurred on Monday, March 23, 2026, with 59,682 movements," Endarto added.

Despite the high numbers already recorded, officials believe the final tally will be much higher as more data trickles in from smaller sites. The Sleman Tourism Agency remains confident that the total visitation for the Lebaran period will fall comfortably within their projected range of 300,000 to 500,000 visits.

"Currently, there are still many tourist destinations whose number of tourist visits has not been recorded," he remarked.

The hospitality sector has also seen a steady performance that aligns with government forecasts. Regarding the accommodation industry, Kus Endarto noted that the average hotel occupancy from March 14 to March 24, 2026, hovered between 40 and 65 percent.

"This figure is in accordance with the estimates of the Sleman Tourism Office," he concluded. ***