Indonesia aims for 16-17.6 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2026, targeting increased GDP contribution and simplified visa policies to boost the sector.
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is confident of achieving a target of 16 to 17.6 million foreign tourist arrivals by 2026.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated the target following a Tourism Coordination Meeting.
The government also aims for foreign exchange earnings between Rp22 billion and Rp24.7 billion from tourism.
The sector’s contribution to gross domestic product is expected to rise to between 4.5% and 4.7%.
Key strategies to strengthen tourism were agreed upon, focusing on accelerating infrastructure and connectivity.
This includes better links between new and existing airports and joint central-regional government programmes in priority destinations.
Hartarto said entry access will be simplified through an evaluation of foreign tourist visa policies.
Governance transformation and digitalisation will be enhanced via integrated licensing and reinforced safety standards with tourism insurance.
To strengthen human resources, an upskilling programme will target 400,000 people annually.
Tourism financing will be supported by establishing the Indonesia Quality Tourism Fund.
The government will also provide government-borne income tax incentives for tourism workers in 2025-2026.
“Ahead of this Eid al-Fitr holiday, we will prepare transportation ticket discounts, shopping discounts, and others,” Hartarto remarked.
He added that visa facilities were discussed and will be reported to the President.
As of the third quarter of 2025, tourism’s contribution to GDP reached 3.96%.
Tourism foreign exchange earnings for that period hit USD13.82 billion, supporting 25.91 million jobs.
Total foreign tourist visits reached 13.98 million as of November 2025.
The average spending per foreign tourist arrival was recorded at USD1,259 in the third quarter of 2025.
The highest number of visits came from Malaysia (17.3%), Australia (11.3%), Singapore (10.5%), and China (8.8%). – Bernama, Antara
