Indonesia Clinches 'Best Booth Design' at Seoul International Travel Fair 2026

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s tourism promotion drive has secured a major victory in East Asia after the Wonderful Indonesia pavilion was crowned with the Best Booth Design award at the Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2026.

The accolade comes at a time as the Ministry of Tourism aggressively courts the South Korean market, which currently stands as Indonesia’s seventh-largest source of international visitors.

"The award is an important momentum to strengthen Indonesian tourism promotion in the South Korean market, which is currently the seventh-largest contributor of foreign tourists to Indonesia," Tourism Ministry Marketing Deputy Ni Made Ayu Marthini stated in an official release confirmed in Jakarta on Monday, June 8, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Held from June 4 to 7, 2026, SITF is recognized as one of East Asia's premier travel marketplaces. This year's edition drew participation from 41 countries and attracted more than 400,000 visitors.

Under the banner of the Go Beyond Ordinary campaign, the Indonesian delegation teamed up with eight prominent tourism industry players. Together, they showcased a curated selection of elite destinations including Batam, Bali, Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Flores, North Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara.

Promotional efforts targeted segments highly favored by South Korean travelers, specifically wellness retreats, luxury getaways, marine tourism, and culinary excursions.

The four-day exhibition utilized a dual business approach, combining consumer-direct sales (B2C) with dedicated business-to-business (B2B) travel marts that linked Indonesian operators directly with South Korean trade buyers to ink future partnership deals.

The pavilion's interactive Indonesia Coffee Corner proved to be an exceptional crowd-pleaser. The activation offered guests a sensory journey through Indonesian heritage by serving premium single-origin coffees from across the archipelago, including Gayo, Toraja, and Mandailing varieties.

The strategic showcase yielded highly lucrative returns. By the close of the event, the Indonesian delegation recorded potential travel bookings from 4,970 passengers, translating into an estimated transaction value of IDR 144 billion (USD 8.85 million).

“Through participation in SITF 2026, we continue to promote various flagship tourism products, ranging from marine tourism, wellness, luxury, to gastronomy. This Best Booth Design award further strengthens Indonesia's image as a world-class tourism destination in the South Korean market,” Made added.

Government officials hope the success at SITF 2026 will deepen institutional ties between the two nations' tourism industries and maintain the robust influx of South Korean visitors.

According to ministry data, arrivals from South Korea reached 496,862 in 2025, marking a 13.97 percent year-on-year increase. The positive momentum expanded further into April 2026, which saw a 16.75 percent growth compared to the preceding month. While Bali remains the undisputed destination of choice for South Korean travelers, emergent destinations like Labuan Bajo and Manado are rapidly gaining significant market share. ***