Foreign Tourists Flock to Indonesia, Visits Surge 12.3% Year-on-Year to Reach 14.85 Million

Amid global challenges and economic turmoil, Indonesia's tourism sector instead shows a bright direction and becomes a new driving engine for the people's economy. Over the last 12 months, September 2024 - August 2025, tourism recorded a significant surge. 

Foreign tourist visits grew by 12.32 percent to reach 14.85 million visits, while domestic tourists soared by 21.69 percent, touching 1.15 billion trips. 

These figures are not mere statistics, but a reflection of the pulse of economic life in various corners of the country, from the beaches of Labuan Bajo to the tourist villages in Tanah Minang.

“This achievement shows that Indonesian tourism has once again become the driving engine of the people's economy with increasing quality. Moreover, we are not only pursuing visitor numbers but also the added value from every trip,” said Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana.

Widiyanti emphasized that tourism has now returned to its function as a driver of the people's economy.

“As a driver of the people's economy, tourism holds a strategic role in opening new job opportunities, strengthening regional economic resilience, and promoting inclusive and equitable development,” she said.

Based on BPS data for the first quarter of 2025, the tourism sector contributed 3.9 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while also absorbing more than 25.88 million workers across Indonesia, from tour guides, MSME actors, to local artists.

Five Flagship Programs, Five New Faces of Tourism

Under the coordination of the Ministry of Tourism, five flagship programs are being implemented to strengthen this sector from the roots to the industry.

“Clean Tourism Movement, Tourism 5.0, Tourism Upgrade, Event by Indonesia, and Tourism Villages,” explained Widiyanti.

As a result, the Karisma Event Nusantara and various Event by Indonesia successfully drove the economic wheel with a value of over IDR 11 trillion, while the development of 6,153 Tourism Villages strengthened economic equality and the quality of community-based destinations.

From Sabang to Merauke, the tourism buzz is no longer exclusive to big cities. In villages, the community becomes participants, not spectators.

World Recognition for Indonesia

The positive performance is not only felt domestically but also recognized globally. In the past year, Indonesia has won 143 international awards in tourism.

Among them are the Best Tourism Village award from UN Tourism, ASEAN Tourism Awards for 15 tourist villages, 33 hotels receiving MICHELIN Keys, and the crowning of Bali as the Best Island in Asia 2025 by Condé Nast Traveller.

Regulatory Reform and Tourism Diplomacy

These achievements are also supported by an increasingly strong regulatory foundation. The Ministry of Tourism issued seven strategic legal products, including the Third Amendment to the Tourism Law and the Ministerial Regulation on One Tourism Data, which serve as a new foundation for data-based and integrated tourism management.

Not stopping there, cross-sectoral synergy is also strengthened. There are 14 formal collaborations with other ministries and institutions, as well as strategic international cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, China, and France. All are directed at opening new investment doors and expanding Indonesia's tourism market on the global stage.

For Widiyanti, tourism growth is not just numbers in an annual report. She sees it as the result of cross-sectoral collaboration and tangible evidence of the new spirit of the Merah Putih Cabinet.

Tourism today is not only about beautiful destinations or the number of visitors, but the value that grows behind every trip, such as new job opportunities, preserved culture, and increasingly vibrant hope in every corner of the nation.(Antara)