Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's tourism sector posted strong gains in July, with foreign arrivals and domestic travel showing robust year-on-year growth, the Tourism Ministry said in a report released Saturday.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), international tourist arrivals reached 1.48 million in July 2025, a 13 percent increase compared to the same month last year.
Malaysia remained the top source of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia (212,113), followed by Australia (173,241) and China (144,531).
From January to July 2025, foreign tourist arrivals grew 10.04 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 8.53 million. That figure surpasses the 5.44 million trips by Indonesian tourists, which only rose 1.79 percent.
“We are optimistic this trend will continue until the end of the year,” Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said on Thursday (September 4), alongside Deputy Minister Ni Luh Puspa.
The performance of tourism inside the country by Indonesian tourists also performed well, with 100.2 million trips in July 2025, up 29.72 percent yoy.
Meanwhile, the number of overseas trips by Indonesian citizens declined by 5.24 percent yoy, from 918,050 in July 2024 to 869,930 in July 2025.
This decline coincided with the school holidays, suggesting a stronger preference for vacationing in the country.
These figures highlight not only the continued growth of Indonesia’s tourism sector but also its role in generating a positive net foreign exchange for the country.
Through flagship programs and strategic promotions, the Ministry continues to strengthen the appeal of Indonesian destinations for both domestic and international tourists.
“This positive trend is the result of ongoing collaboration between the government and tourism stakeholders to enhance destination appeal, increase tourist interest, and build an inclusive and sustainable tourism ecosystem,” Minister Wardhana explained.
Despite rising tourist movement, hotel occupancy declined in July 2025 by 3.57 percentage points compared to July 2024.
The Ministry identified two factors contributed to the occupancy decline, which are a shift to alternative accommodations and hotel room supply growing faster than demand, indicating possible oversupply.
On a monthly basis, July also saw an increase in rooms occupied compared to June 2025, despite lower tourist visits. This was likely due to events and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) activities in major cities.
“Such events, especially those creating crowds around tourism destinations, have the potential to boost occupancy and revitalize the hotel industry,” Deputy Minister Puspa commented.
Circular Issuance
To foster a healthy business climate and ensure orderly, competitive, and sustainable destination governance, the Ministry has issued a circular regarding the registration of business permits for tourism accommodation providers.
The Ministry has called on governors, mayors, and district heads to follow up on the circular by identifying short-term accommodation businesses and supporting them through ease in obtaining permits. They are also expected to supervise unregistered businesses.
The Ministry also urged members of tourism accommodation associations to secure operating permits and fulfill regulatory obligations. They are expected to meet tourism accommodation standards by December 31, 2025, to improve service quality.
KEN and Halo Wonderful
The Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN), a series of cultural events held across 37 provinces, has so far delivered 61 events in 31 provinces by September 1.
These events attracted 9.05 million visitors and generated Rp691.3 billion or around US$42 million in economic transactions. KEN engaged 9,750 MSMEs, created jobs for over 83 thousand workers, and involved more than 77 thousand artists.
One such event, the viral Pacu Jalur Festival, drew more than 1.65 million visitors, including over 1,300 foreign tourists. It generated more than Rp165 billion or around US$10 million in transactions and involved nearly 2,500 MSMEs, 1,120 artists, and opened up around 15 thousand jobs.
“With results that directly benefit communities, the Ministry will continue the KEN program in 2026,” Deputy Minister Ni Luh Puspa said.
Another initiative launched in August was "Halo Wonderful", a modern, integrated service platform for submitting information requests, feedback, complaints, and consultations via WhatsApp, phone, email, app, social media, website, or directly at the Ministry's front desk.
The platform aims to ensure open, inclusive communication between the public and the Ministry.
Collaboration
The Ministry has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on August 13 with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of MSMEs, the National Nutrition Agency, and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
At the end of August, six ministries launched the Rasa Rempah Indonesia (S’RASA) program to promote Indonesian cuisine and culture abroad. The program’s initial phase will support five Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam, London, New York, Tokyo, and Sydney.
The program also aims to boost culinary tourism, spice exports, and global market access for Indonesian MSME products.
This reflects the government’s commitment to making tourism a driver of national economic growth.
Foreign tourist visits are expected to rise, along with stronger domestic tourism, which remains the backbone of Indonesia’s tourism recovery and growth.
“Let's protect and nurture Indonesian tourism, because a thriving tourism sector is one that is managed together, with a spirit of mutual cooperation and shared responsibility,” Minister Wardhana concluded.
