Indonesia Promotes Thematic Tourism to Boost Local Economies
- 23 Jun 2026 17:53 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Indonesia is promoting themed travel experiences built around local specialties to encourage longer tourist stays and increase regional economic benefits.
- The Ministry of Tourism believes authentic travel narratives can boost visitor spending and generate greater economic impact for local communities.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is packaging local specialties into themed travel experiences to keep tourists longer and boost regional incomes, the Ministry of Tourism said on Monday, June 22, 2026. To support this effort, the ministry has rolled out targeted promotional materials and AI tools to help travelers discover and buy local products.
“Products that are shaped into an authentic travel narrative have the potential to increase length of stay and tourist spending, thereby delivering greater economic impact for the regions,” said Assistant Deputy for Tourism Product Development at the Ministry of Tourism, Itok Parikesit, in Jakarta on 23 June 2026.
As reported by Antara, Itok highlighted several themed offerings now being promoted. West Java is positioned as a gastronomic destination, showcasing Sundanese cuisine along with regional coffee, tea and other flagship products.
This effort is supported by the gastronomic travel blueprint book Wisata Rasa di Bumi Pasundan, produced by the ministry’s product development team and launched on 19 October 2025 in Bandung, West Java. The book is intended as a reference for travel agents and tour operators designing food-focused packages.
Yogyakarta Province, Solo and Semarang are being developed as wellness destinations that blend health and fitness with cultural experiences, traditional spas, jamu (traditional Indonesian herbal medicine), meditation and natural attractions. The ministry published the travel pattern guide Wellness Journey Across the Java Wonders on 1 November 2025 to assist travel agencies and operators in building wellness-themed itineraries.
Itok said that technology, especially artificial intelligence, plays a central role in the promotion strategy. AI can speed up access to accurate, personalized information for tourists and improve service quality across the sector.
“As such, the Ministry of Tourism has followed this trend by developing the Marvellous Indonesia AI Assistant (MaiA), an AI-based service that helps travelers obtain recommendations for destinations, attractions, cuisine, accommodation and tailored itineraries,” he explained.
For themed travel, MaiA can suggest journeys based on a visitor’s interests, such as coffee tourism, gastronomy, wellness, heritage, ecotourism or cultural trips.
“Thus, tourists not only receive a list of destinations but also recommendations for activities, local products to explore, and distinctive experiences that match their preferences,” said Itok. ***
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