Indonesia Expands Air Connectivity to Attract Foreign Tourists

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi affirmed the government's commitment to strengthening transport connectivity as part of a strategy to boost the competitiveness of national tourism destinations. This step is expected to make various tourist areas in Indonesia more accessible and stimulate local economic growth.

"The Ministry of Transportation fully supports tourism sector development through improved connectivity and transport infrastructure," said the Minister during Tourism Minister Widiyanthi Putri Wardhana's visit in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

According to Dudy, the Ministry continues to expand support by enhancing transportation accessibility to various flagship destinations.

"We will keep strengthening access to tourist destinations to make travelers' journeys easier, safer, and more comfortable," he stated.

The meeting between both ministers discussed connectivity's strategic role in accelerating tourism sector growth. They agreed that adequate transport infrastructure is key for Indonesian destinations to compete nationally and internationally.

Push for New Flight Routes

Tourism Minister Widiyanthi proposed that the Transportation Ministry expand domestic and international flight networks to priority and regenerative tourist destinations.

She suggested several new routes, including direct flights from Yogyakarta Airport to cities in China, Korea, Japan, Australia, and India. Additional proposed routes include Silangit-Singapore, Silangit-Kuala Lumpur, Lombok-Sydney, Labuan Bajo-Melbourne/Perth, Belitung-Kuala Lumpur, Belitung-Singapore, Manado-Manila, and Surabaya-Guangzhou/Shanghai.

The Tourism Minister emphasized that expanding international flight access is crucial as foreign tourist visits to Indonesia show positive trends. However, compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia still lags in visitor numbers.

"Therefore, we need to optimize further," she urged.

Tourist Visit Data Shows Continuous Growth

Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data recorded 7.05 million foreign tourist visits to Indonesia from January-June 2025, a 9.44% increase from 6.44 million visits during the same period in 2024.

Despite positive growth, this figure places Indonesia fifth in ASEAN, below Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.

The Tourism Minister appreciated the Transportation Ministry's efforts in expanding international airport access across several regions.

"This is expected to strengthen Indonesian tourist destinations' competitiveness," she remarked.

Beyond aviation, the Tourism Minister also requested Transportation Ministry support in accelerating marine tourism development, including streamlining marine tourism transport licensing and improving maritime safety standards and oversight.

These collaborative measures are expected to open new opportunities for Indonesia's tourism industry while strengthening the country's position as a premier destination in the Asia-Pacific region. (Antara)