Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima emphasises strengthening the tourism ecosystem and city branding to advance regional tourism
Jakarta, VIVA – Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto has emphasised that strengthening the tourism ecosystem and city branding are keys to developing regional tourism. He said that the potential of tourist destinations will not reach optimal growth without support from infrastructure, connectivity, hospitality, and cross-sector collaboration.
He made the remarks during the National Tourism Coordinating Meeting 2026, held under the theme ‘Optimization, Resilience, Innovation and Sustainability of the Transformation of the National Tourism Ecosystem Towards Achieving the 2026 Target’ at Balairung Soesilo Soedarman, Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, Thursday (21 May 2026).
‘When we talk about the ecosystem, the clearest example is the tourism village… How can this tourism village become the driving force for regional economic growth?’ he said.
Bima cited several areas that have significant tourism potential but have not yet developed optimally due to weak ecosystem support. The issues include accessibility, limited infrastructure, lack of flight connectivity, and insufficient supporting facilities such as hotels and tourism services.
In addition, he assessed sport tourism as one of the sectors with strong potential to drive regional economic growth. He said that several regions have started to successfully leverage sport events as a tourist draw through support from local governments, business actors, security personnel, and community involvement.
‘The first piece of homework for all regional heads is city branding. How should cities and districts be branded? City branding is about image, story, and aspiration. Not all regional heads are focused on city branding, but everyone should start from here,’ he said.
He explained that city branding forms the basis for determining the direction of regional development, including tourism policy, programmes, and budgeting. Therefore, each region needs to build a strong identity based on history, culture, or the region’s distinctive strengths.
Furthermore, Bima emphasised that strengthening regional tourism requires leadership from regional heads who are focused on building the ecosystem comprehensively. He said there are three main challenges in developing regional tourism: infrastructure, hospitality culture, and strengthening city branding.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, he continued, is ready to collaborate with all stakeholders to identify various policy and regulatory obstacles in developing regional tourism. This effort is aimed at ensuring the sector can become a motor of economic growth while also strengthening regional identity. (LAN)