Culinary Tourism Drives Foreign Visitor Arrivals to Indonesia

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s culinary wealth is no longer just about satisfying hunger and thirst, but also become a primary gateway for international tourists to explore the archipelago’s cultural roots. Ministry of Tourism data show that more than 58 percent of foreign tourists visit Indonesia in pursuit of gastronomic experiences, underscoring how ancestral recipes and the philosophies behind local dishes have become compelling instruments of cultural diplomacy.

“Data from Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) indicate that 58.34 percent of tourists visiting Indonesia in 2025 engaged in culinary or gastronomy tourism,” said Tourism Minister, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, during a press conference for Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy (WIG) 2026 in Jakarta on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

She noted that Indonesia, a nation of more than 17,000 islands, boasts diverse cuisines shaped by local traditions, agricultural products, and cultures that have evolved over centuries.

From a gastronomy perspective, Indonesia’s culinary ecosystem is vast and deeply interconnected. It spans livestock farmers, fishers, producers, cooks, business operators, and communities that preserve and pass down food traditions across generations.

On the tourism front, Minister Widiyanti said gastronomy opens doors to understanding a place’s culture, traditions, and stories, ideally sparking travelers’ desire to visit those destinations. “One of Indonesia’s greatest assets as a tourism destination is its incredibly rich gastronomic heritage, deeply rooted in community culture,” she said, as quoted by Antara.

She added that this culinary opportunity could be leveraged to boost international visitor arrivals, which reached 8.98 million between January and July 2026. The Ministry of Tourism is targeting 16–17 million foreign tourist arrivals for the full year.

To raise exposure and strengthen the global appeal of Indonesia’s culinary tourism, the Ministry of Tourism, together with the Indonesia Gastronomy Network (IGN), is advancing the flagship program Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy (WIG). The initiative encourages visitors to look deeper and trace local cultural roots through food.

This year, WIG 2026 will be held under the theme From Local Roots to Global Recognition. The main program will take place in Solo and Yogyakarta from September 26 to October 4, 2026. The event will highlight the origins of ingredients and dishes, local wisdom, traditions, and the philosophies behind foods, as well as how to translate that richness into contemporary gastronomic experiences.

Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said the foreign visitor data confirm that cuisine can drive tourism growth. “This not only attracts international tourists to visit, but also directly benefits MSMEs [Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises],” said Made.

Through WIG, she said the ministry aims to showcase Indonesia’s culinary wealth while uplifting MSMEs and encouraging their participation so they can gain wider recognition.

The Ministry regularly collaborates with the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) to hold culinary festivals in various malls. These events feature attractive promotions designed to encourage visitors to spend more.

“If the food courts in malls mostly serve Indonesian food, not just the restaurants, that’s one way to do it,” added Made.

Indonesia Gastronomy Network Chairperson, Vita Datau, said the current culinary tourism trend in Indonesia is shifting toward high-quality dishes. For tourists, she noted, trends tend to move dynamically according to individual preferences, especially with Gen Z and millennial communities actively sharing the nation’s culinary uniqueness on social media.

“For example, if someone likes spicy food, they’ll head to places known for Manado cuisine,” she said.

Accordingly, she urged the Ministry of Tourism to provide mentoring so business operators can improve product quality and move upmarket. This step also aims to position culinary offerings as compelling tourist attractions. ***

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