Bule Mengajar: Yogyakarta's Effort to Increase Foreign Tourists' Length of Stay

Yogyakarta, Indonesia — The Yogyakarta City Tourism Office has launched the Bule Mengajar programme to raise the length of stay of foreign tourists in Yogyakarta, Special Administrative Region (DIY).

Head of the Yogyakarta City Tourism Office, Lucia Daning Krisnawati, said the programme originated from a request by the Yogyakarta Mayor for the Tourism Office to devise a breakthrough in Kotagede’s development.

“I was given a challenge to develop Bule Mengajar, so that the expats’ experience can transfer culture to their home country and give expats an Indonesian experience,” Lucia said when contacted on Wednesday (20 May 2026).

According to Lucia, through this experience, it is hoped that foreign tourists will recount their experiences to their home countries, such as visiting the legendary village in Yogyakarta, one of which is Kotagede, which holds historical significance in the formation of the Mataram Islam Kingdom.

The department has coordinated with schools in Kotagede so that children can directly interact with foreign tourists, thereby also gaining experience in interacting with them.

“There is a kind of experience for the children so that when they grow up they might reach the land of the foreigners and be prompted to learn foreign languages,” Lucia said.

Meanwhile, foreign tourists are not only asked to engage directly through schoolchildren, but are also given a challenge at one of the silver shops and are asked to shop in Kotagede’s traditional market.

“We give them money to buy Kotagede’s traditional foods; there are kipo, kembang waru, and yanko, so they shop at Pasar Legi and we take them to Kampung Wisata Purbayan,” Lucia said.

The Bule Mengajar programme is expected to increase the length of stay of foreign tourists.

“If this year it is 1.78 days, but by May it hasn’t yet reached it; it’s around 1.67 to 1.69 days. This is our challenge, and we hope to surpass it,” Lucia noted.

She added that the Bule Mengajar programme is not just about inviting foreign tourists to visit, but encouraging direct engagement with residents through activities such as sharing experiences, teaching languages, sharing skills, and providing global perspectives in schools and tourist villages.