Cross-Sector Collaboration Key to Strengthening Indonesian Tourism

The tourism industry is a strategic sector that contributes significantly to national economic growth through foreign exchange earnings, job creation, and strengthening MSMEs. However, the sector now faces increasingly complex challenges due to the weakening rupiah exchange rate, rising global energy prices, increasing aviation fuel costs, and higher travel expenses affecting both tourists and tourism businesses. Amid these conditions, cross-sector synergy is needed so the tourism industry can continue to grow sustainably while maintaining Indonesia’s competitiveness as a world tourist destination. “Tourism is not only about tourist destinations or economic activity, but also about how to build trust, strengthen collaboration, and deliver shared value for society. Effective communication is key to aligning the interests of government, business, academia, and international partners so that every policy and collaboration built can provide real benefits for the development of Indonesian tourism,” said Dr. Prasetya Yoga Santoso, Head of the Doctoral Programme in Communication Studies at Sahid University’s Postgraduate School, in Jakarta recently. Meanwhile, Deputy Chair of Commission X of the House of Representatives, Kurniasih Mufidayati, stated that universities are key to developing Indonesia’s tourism potential through human resource improvement and research. “Preparing superior human resources requires collaboration with universities. Likewise, in generating innovation through research that will support the development of halal tourism in Indonesia,” Kurniasih said. She explained that based on data, in 2024 the travel and tourism sector contributed approximately 5.1 per cent to Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product. The industry also created around 12.9 million jobs and attracted about 17 million foreign tourist visits. These achievements show that the tourism sector remains one of the main drivers of the national economy with continuously developing prospects. Amid this growth, halal tourism or Muslim-friendly travel is emerging as one of the fastest-growing tourism segments in the world. Citing a report from the Global Muslim Travel Index, she noted that the number of international Muslim travellers reached around 176 million trips in 2024 and is projected to increase to 245 million trips by 2030, with spending value exceeding 230 billion US dollars.