Bank Indonesia: Tourism Transactions Must Use Rupiah

The Bank Indonesia (BI) Representative Office in Bali has stated that transactions in the tourism sector are required to use the rupiah, as the industry is not included in the exemptions for international trade transactions.

“The rupiah is the legal tender in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Ronald Dungdung Parluhutan, Deputy Head of the Bank Indonesia Bali Representative Office, in Denpasar on Friday. He added that the use of rupiah in every domestic transaction supports the achievement of rupiah exchange rate stability.

Under Bank Indonesia Regulation (PBI) Number 17/3/2015, international trade transactions are exempted from the mandatory use of the rupiah currency. This exemption provides flexibility for exporters to quote prices and use foreign currencies in international contracts. However, the regulation has not yet included the tourism sector in this exemption.

Putu Winastra, Chairman of the Bali branch of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Asita), expressed hope for room to quote tourism package prices in foreign currencies, such as the US dollar. He noted that while payments would still be settled in rupiah at the prevailing exchange rate, quoting prices in foreign currency helps businesses cope with operational cost burdens when the dollar strengthens.

Winastra argued that the tourism sector contributes to strengthening the rupiah through its export of services. Meanwhile, the rupiah has experienced weakening in recent weeks, prompting Bank Indonesia to take drastic measures, including raising its benchmark interest rate. The BI Rate was increased to 5.25 percent in May 2026 and subsequently raised by another 25 basis points to 5.50 percent on Tuesday (9/6).

Despite these measures, the rupiah’s performance remains volatile. On Friday morning, the rupiah weakened by 51 points, or 0.29 percent, trading at Rp17,845 per US dollar compared to the previous close of Rp17,794 per US dollar.