BBTF 2026 is being pushed to serve as the main gateway for promoting tourist destinations across Nusantara.

The Travel Journey Bali & Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) 2026 exhibition once again serves as a platform to showcase the allure of Indonesian Tourism to the global stage. Beyond promoting Bali alone, this event is expected to inspire tourists to explore more destinations across every corner of the archipelago.

Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana confirmed that BBTF 2026 is designed as a gateway to expand visitors' exposure to Indonesia's Cultural Heritage, natural assets, and community-based tourism offerings.

"Through BBTF, we invite the world to go beyond the familiar, discover Indonesia's full diversity, and encourage travel itineraries that connect visitors to destinations spread across the entire country," she stated during her official visit to the BBTF 2026 exhibition in Badung on Friday.

According to Widiyanti, BBTF is not merely a trading space for Travel Package sellers and buyers. This forum also acts as a critical platform to strengthen Indonesia's Tourism Ecosystem while unlocking new Business opportunities amid evolving global market dynamics.

She emphasized that the tourism sector carries substantial weight for the national economy: it creates widespread employment while simultaneously sharing Indonesia's unique narrative and national identity with the world.

"From Bali, Lombok, Manado, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Solo, Flores, Labuan Bajo, to Village Tourism sites and marine destinations nationwide, we want every visitor to experience the full spectrum of Indonesian Tourism: spanning culture, nature, wellness, Marine Tourism, gastronomy, MICE, and authentic community-led experiences," Widiyanti explained.

This 2026 edition of BBTF welcomed 407 travel buyers representing 44 countries, alongside 286 sellers from 4 nations with the vast majority based in Indonesia. These participation figures exceeded the organizing committee's initial targets of 400 buyers and 250 sellers.

BBTF 2026 Committee Chairman I Putu Winastra explained a deliberate shift in target markets this year. While previous editions prioritized European travellers, promotional focus has now been redirected towards ASEAN, greater Asia, and African regions.

"Following directives from the Governor of Bali and the Ministry, we have adjusted our market approach. Rather than prioritizing long-haul international markets, we are first concentrating on closer regional markets," Winastra stated.

Despite higher event attendance, this year's projected transaction value has seen a moderate decline compared to the previous edition. This trend is attributed to travel behaviour from nearby regional markets, who typically book shorter length of stay trips compared to tourists from Europe or other long-haul origins.

Industry stakeholders originally projected BBTF 2026 transactions would surpass last year's recorded IDR 7.84 Trillion. Following revised consolidated calculations however, this year's official target is now estimated at IDR 6.8 Trillion.

"When we compiled final projections from all attending tour operators, we recorded an approximate 12% decrease year-on-year. This drop is directly caused by the different market demographic we have invited for this edition, compared to previous years," Winastra confirmed.

BBTF 2026 runs at the Bali International Convention Center from 28 to 30 May. Alongside destination promotion, this exhibition is also being utilised by industry players to launch more competitively priced travel packages, including leveraging the weaker Rupiah exchange rate against the US Dollar to improve affordability for Overseas Visitors.

Through BBTF 2026, the government hopes that International Tourists will not treat Bali as their final travel destination, but will instead be encouraged to explore other locations across Indonesia that offer distinct, authentic travel experiences.