Indonesia Targets Higher-Quality Tourism Through KEN 2027

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, said Indonesia’s tourism development will increasingly focus on quality tourism—tourism that continues to grow and remain competitive while generating greater and more equitable economic benefits for communities. She made the statement during the online socialization of the 2027 selection process for the Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

“Tourism is one of the drivers of Indonesia’s economic growth and equitable development. When tourism moves, MSMEs grow, artists gain opportunities, jobs are created, and local economies benefit. This is where events play a strategic role. When events attract tourists, bring destinations to life, strengthen local identity, and generate economic activity directly felt by communities,” she said.

For KEN 2026, the Ministry of Tourism supported 125 regional events across 38 provinces. As of June 30, 2026, 36 events had been completed, two were still underway, and the remaining 87 were scheduled to take place through the end of the year.

Of the 36 completed events, 23 have undergone impact assessments. The assessments recorded a total of 1.34 million visitors and approximately Rp90.53 billion in direct economic transactions. The events also involved around 10,000 MSMEs and 23,500 artists, while creating more than 20,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, KEN events held throughout 2025 generated an estimated economic impact of Rp13.76 trillion. “For me, KEN is not simply about creating an event calendar. It is about turning the strength and creativity of our regions into a driving force for Indonesia’s tourism and economy,” the Minister said.

The Ministry of Tourism is continuing to strengthen this approach through KEN 2027. The selection process is expected to provide an opportunity to improve event quality, from the strength of concepts and regional uniqueness to event management, visitor experience, safety, sustainability, and community impact.

KEN is designed not merely to create events as tourist attractions, but also to generate tangible economic benefits for communities while contributing to cultural and environmental preservation.

The Minister encouraged regional governments to prepare their flagship events by strengthening collaboration among stakeholders and using the KEN 2027 selection and mentoring process as an opportunity to continuously learn and improve event quality.

“I hope the KEN 2027 process will produce more events with stronger identities, higher-quality execution, and tangible benefits for communities. Let us continue building Indonesian events rooted in the strengths of our regions, driving the local economy, and strengthening Indonesia’s tourism competitiveness on the global stage,” Widiyanti said.

The KEN 2027 selection process will begin with registration from August 24 to September 25, 2026, through the Event by Indonesia dashboard. Administrative and content screening will take place on October 1–2, 2026, followed by interviews from November 3–13, a plenary meeting on December 1, and the announcement of the selected events in January 2027.

The selection will be conducted by a team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and independent curators. The assessment will cover five components: ideas and innovation (20 percent), marketing and communication strategy (20 percent), event management (25 percent), financial management (20 percent), and impact analysis (15 percent).