Indonesia Positions Edu-Tourism as a Bridge for Global Youth Engagement
- 15 Agt 2026 09:37 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- The Ministry of Tourism introduced village-based destinations as living classrooms to promote educational travel.
- Indonesia targeted Australian students through promotional events in Sydney on August 3–4, 2026.
- Consul General Leonards Sondakh emphasized that Indonesian villages provide dynamic learning spaces for foreign youth.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia is expanding its tourism narrative beyond leisure, presenting educational travel as a way to connect global youth with the country’s diverse heritage. In collaboration with Garuda Indonesia and the Indonesian Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, the Ministry of Tourism introduced village-based destinations as living classrooms where visitors can learn through history, art, culture, environment, and daily life.
“We want to show that Indonesia offers authentic and memorable learning experiences, not only in Bali but also in other leading destinations," explained Deputy Minister for Marketing Ni Made Ayu Marthini, as quoted by Antara, on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
She emphasized that edu-tourism provides added value by encouraging longer stays and deeper interactions between travelers and local communities.
According to World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation and UN Tourism, around 350 million young people traveled in 2025, with 23 percent being students. Australia remains a strategic market, contributing over 1.75 million visits in 2025 and recording a 6.29 percent increase in arrivals by mid-2026.
To capture this segment, Indonesia launched promotional events in Sydney on August 3–4, 2026. The program began with Indonesia Goes to School at Claremont College in Randwick, Sydney, Australia, where students and teachers engaged in interactive workshops, batik-making with Wukirsari Village, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, traditional dance with Taro Village, North of Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, angklung performances, and storytelling about hanjeli seeds from Hanjeli Village in Waluran, Sukabumi Regency, West Java. The following day’s EduTourism Networking Event connected Indonesian tourism stakeholders with Australian travel and education partners.
Consul General Leonards Sondakh highlighted that Indonesia’s villages can serve as dynamic learning spaces. “They allow students to learn directly from communities and see how culture, creativity, sustainability, and local economies are interconnected,” he concluded.
By reframing tourism as education, Indonesia is positioning itself not just as a holiday destination but as a global learning hub, a place where cultural immersion and knowledge exchange strengthen international ties while supporting local communities. ***
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