Minister highlights rising interest in Indonesia's tourism

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana reported a growing interest in Indonesia's tourism sector among both domestic and foreign tourists, as indicated by the rising number of visits.

In an official statement here on Monday, Wardhana outlined that based on Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, foreign tourist arrivals in May 2025 reached 1.31 million, reflecting a 14.01 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase.

"This trend shows that in the global market, the interest in Indonesian tourism continues to increase as a whole," Wardhana remarked.

In May 2025, domestic tourist movements increased by 17.81 percent compared to the same period last year. This growth also contributed to a cumulative increase of 16.13 percent for the January-May 2025 period compared to the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa noted that the number of Indonesians traveling abroad grew by 7.63 percent in the January-May 2025 period compared to the corresponding period in 2024.

Nevertheless, there was a 6.52 percent decrease in outbound travel in May 2025 compared to May 2024. With three long weekends that month and strong domestic travel growth, this suggests a greater preference for domestic tourist destinations.

Furthermore, in the January-May 2025 period, foreign tourist arrivals totaled 5.63 million, exceeding the 3.84 million Indonesians who traveled abroad.

She emphasized the importance of consistent, innovative, and integrated promotional efforts, as well as collaboration with agencies, regional governments, and all tourism stakeholders.

"The Ministry of Tourism continues to strive to maintain these positive achievements," she remarked.

In this context, Indonesia's growing status as a preferred tourist destination for both domestic and foreign tourists will continue to be supported by sustainable promotional strategies and collaboration with business players to develop safe, comfortable, and enjoyable tourism packages.