Indonesia Boosts Tourism Safety Standards to Attract Global Visitors

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Security guarantees and safety assurance are now positioned as key selling points to boost the bargaining value of Indonesia's tourism sector in the international eye. Through strengthened risk management and human resource (HR) certification, the Ministry of Tourism is targeting a more crisis-resilient tourism ecosystem to attract high-spending tourists.

"The Ministry of Tourism has placed the Tourism Safety Enhancement Program as one of five flagship programs for 2026," said Ministry of Tourism Spokesperson, Nia Niscaya, in Jakarta on Friday, September 18, 2026.

She explained that realizing a safe and sustainable tourism ecosystem is being carried out through upskilling and reskilling programs for tour guides. This step aims to improve their preparedness, particularly when accompanying extreme tourism activities.

The Ministry of Tourism is conducting competency-based training, tour guide certification, and safety education for tourists. Additionally, safety guidelines for business operators, mapping of disaster-prone destinations, and adjustments to live on-board regulations have been prepared.

The Ministry of Tourism is strengthening destination governance by resolving 3A issues (Attractions, Amenities, and Accessibility). This effort is being conducted together with local administration and stakeholders to improve safety standards across various destinations.

As reinforcement, she disclosed that in 2025 the Ministry of Tourism, through the Deputy for Destination and Infrastructure Development, issued Technical Guidelines Number JUKNIS/2/HK.01.04/D.2/2025 concerning Risk Management Implementation in Tourism Destinations.

These guidelines serve as a reference for destination managers to systematically conduct hazard identification, risk assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting.

"Tourism safety enhancement is now focused on preventive efforts from the outset, no longer merely handling situations when incidents occur. This strategy is implemented through risk mapping, HR preparedness, provision of safety facilities, emergency procedures, and periodic evaluation of Attractions, Amenities, and Accessibility elements," said Nia, as quoted by Antara.

Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, explained that the tourism safety enhancement program is focused on strengthening the preparedness of industry players. This is prioritized especially for managing high-risk or extreme tourism activities.

These efforts are being carried out through competency-based training and certification for tour guides to improve their ability to prevent and provide initial handling of emergency situations.

Other flagship Ministry of Tourism programs this year include tourism village development, quality tourism, and Event by Indonesia. Additionally, the Tourism 5.0 program in 2026 is focused on strengthening digitalization, particularly for event organization permits. ***