Indonesia pursues stronger global ties at UN Tourism event

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana actively worked to advance the country’s tourism sector during a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) conference in Jakarta.

According to a statement cited here on Friday, Wardhana held bilateral meetings with representatives from international delegations on the sidelines of the 37th Joint Session of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia.

“Since the global tourism landscape is becoming more dynamic and competitive, it is vital that we build awareness of the importance of collaborating with international partners to navigate uncertainty and seize greater opportunities,” she noted.

In this spirit, Wardhana engaged in discussions to explore potential cooperation in tourism development, including with UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili at Mulia Hotel on Monday (April 14).

The minister also held meetings with envoys from the Philippines and Tunisia on Tuesday (April 15), followed by bilateral talks with representatives from Iran, Mexico, and the Maldives the next day.

Wardhana affirmed that the Indonesian government highly values its solid cooperation with the UN Tourism and fellow nations across the Asia-Pacific region.

She emphasized that the Ministry of Tourism remains open to exploring broader collaboration across various fields, particularly those aligned with its priority programs, including digital transformation, human resource development, and delivering diverse, high-quality tourism experiences.

The minister also highlighted initiatives related to gastronomic tourism, wellness tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions), and the ongoing development of tourism villages across Indonesia.

Additionally, she stressed Indonesia’s keenness to form new and deeper partnerships focused on promotional efforts, capacity-building for tourism professionals, and environmental conservation.

“This series of bilateral meetings is expected to help Indonesia strengthen its collaboration in building quality and sustainable tourism with countries across East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific,” she concluded.