Targeting the Chinese Market, Indonesia's Tourism Promotion Generates Potential Transaction Value of IDR 109 Billion

Indonesia's efforts to strengthen its position in the Chinese tourism market are showing positive results. Through promotion programs in two major Chinese cities, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the Ministry of Tourism recorded potential transaction values of approximately IDR 109 billion, while opening opportunities to increase tourist arrivals from China to Indonesia's prime destinations.

This achievement is a strong indication that the Chinese market remains one of the most promising sources of International Tourists for Indonesia. Amid increasingly tight global destination competition, targeted promotions supported by flight connectivity form critical capital to attract more visitors to Indonesia.

The Ministry of Tourism Sales Mission program held in Shanghai and Guangzhou last May involved 14 national tourism industry actors, including travel agents, accommodation providers and tourism attraction operators, presenting a wide range of holiday experiences across Indonesia.

During the event, Indonesia introduced a number of Popular Destinations such as Bali, Lombok, Surabaya and Jakarta. In addition, various special interest tourism products were promoted, covering Wellness Tourism, marine tourism, Cultural Tourism and nature-based tourism.

"This Sales Mission is one of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism's efforts to expand Indonesia's tourism business networks with industry partners in China, through business-to-business (B2B) meetings that bring together industry players from both countries," stated Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy for Marketing at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, in an official press release on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.

The strategy of directly bringing together industry actors from both countries via business-to-business forums has proven effective. Aside from opening new cooperation opportunities, this promotion model also allows Indonesian Tourism players to understand the continuously evolving needs of the Chinese market.

The Shanghai and Guangzhou Sales Mission secured 12,336 potential passengers with an estimated transaction value of IDR 109 billion, with projected foreign exchange earnings expected to reach IDR 265 billion.

The Ministry of Tourism classifies China as a priority market due to the country's extremely large volume of outbound international travellers.

The government targets a 28 percent increase in Chinese tourist arrivals for the full year, equal to 1.72 million visits. This target is deemed realistic, as growth trends have already been recorded since the beginning of the year.

Throughout the first quarter of 2026, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia reached 357,700 people. This figure marks a 25 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year, and serves as a positive indicator for the national tourism industry.

The rise in visitor numbers is closely linked to improving air connectivity between Indonesia and China. Additional direct flight frequencies have simplified access to various Indonesian Tourism Destinations.

Shanghai and Guangzhou were not selected as promotion locations randomly. Both cities are major economic centres as well as the primary departure points for Chinese international travellers, including those travelling to destinations across Indonesia.