Five Flagship Programs of the Ministry of Tourism 2026, Indonesian Tourism Roadmap

Indonesia is preparing a new chapter for its tourism sector in 2026. The Ministry of Tourism has established five flagship programs as the foundation for developing a higher-quality, more competitive, and sustainable national tourism sector. 

Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana emphasized the direction of this policy during a Working Meeting with Commission VII of the DPR in Jakarta. 

"Through these flagship programs, we remain consistent in prioritizing the enhancement of Tourism Safety, Tourism Villages, the Quality Tourism program, and others, while simultaneously strengthening the sector's contribution to the national economy," stated Minister Widiyanti.

The five flagship programs encompass improving Tourism Safety, developing tourism villages, quality tourism, Event by Indonesia, and Tourism 5.0. 

Widiyanti explained that in 2026, Tourism 5.0 will focus on strengthening digitalization, specifically event permitting, a step that simplifies processes and accelerates the creative ecosystem and local economy.

Tourism safety is the primary foundation, especially for destinations with high-risk activities and Extreme Tourism. 

This program is directed at strengthening tourism stakeholders' preparedness through competency-based training and certification for tour guides, aiming to enhance prevention capabilities and initial emergency response handling. 

In Indonesia's adventure-rich landscape, from deep seas to mountain peaks, safety is an inseparable part of the experience.

At the grassroots level, tourism villages remain a priority. The government targets strengthening the network of over 6,100 tourism villages across Indonesia, complete with mentoring for potential villages and tourism-aware communities. 

This program includes Tourism Village certification (Sertidewi) and halal certification in collaboration with the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), to improve service quality and the competitiveness of community-based destinations.

In the realm of quality tourism, the focus is on high-value-added special interests. Widiyanti stated the government will encourage the development of gastronomy, marine tourism, wellness, wastra (traditional textiles), as well as arts and design. 

This approach is designed to attract high-spending tourists while increasing tourist expenditure, through supporting activities like the Clean Tourism Movement, curation of attractions and travel patterns, and strengthening Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy and Wonderful Indonesia Wellness.

Meanwhile, Event by Indonesia is positioned as a global showcase of Indonesia's identity. This program includes Karisma Event Nusantara (Archipelago Charisma Events), SEABEF, and various national and international agendas designed to be high-quality and sustainable, connecting local culture with the world stage, from festival calendars to international meetings.

Underpinning all programs, strengthening human resources and institutions is the common thread. The Ministry of Tourism implements competency-based training and certification targeting 1,900 participants, soft skills training, managerial skills training, and Sustainable Tourism training for 2,090 people in 38 provinces, as well as vocational education through six tourism polytechnics targeting 2,950 graduates.

"Strengthening the quality of human resources and digitalizing governance, including event permitting, are key to ensuring inclusive national tourism development, adaptive to change, and capable of competing globally," she concluded.