Deputy Tourism Minister: Hindu Community Expects President's Presence at Dharma Santi in Bali

Tangerang (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa stated that the Hindu community expects the presence of President Prabowo Subianto to address them at the National Dharma Santi celebration in Bali on 17 April. “The organising committee has extended an invitation through the Ministry of State Secretariat, and we have also communicated directly,” said Deputy Minister Ni Luh Puspa in her statement in Tangerang on Sunday. It should be noted that the Peak of the National Dharma Santi 2026 is part of the series of celebrations for the Holy Day of Nyepi Saka New Year 1948, which serves as a moment of togetherness for the Hindu community in Indonesia. Previously, Deputy Minister Ni Luh Puspa opened the Saka Yoga Festival 2026, which is part of those activities, at Aldiron Pancoran Field in Jakarta. The Saka Yoga Festival 2026 featured mass yoga for the general public and involved UMKM actors as part of strengthening the local economy. She assessed that this event is not only a space for spiritual celebration but also has strategic value in supporting the development of fitness-based tourism (wellness) and spirituality. “Spiritual tourism and wellness tourism are important components in strengthening quality tourism. Indonesia has great potential in offering tourism experiences that are not only attractive but also meaningful,” she said. According to her, the development of wellness tourism is one direction of the national tourism transformation towards a more quality and sustainable sector, supported by cultural richness and local wisdom. Global recognition of this potential is also beginning to emerge, one of which is through the Astungkara Wellness tourism package in Bali, which won the Best of the World Readers’ Choice 2026 award in the wellness category from National Geographic. “We continue to encourage the strengthening of the wellness ecosystem, both through events and industry. Currently, we are promoting Bali, Yogyakarta, and Solo as wellness destinations, and in the future, it will be expanded to various regions,” said Ni Luh Puspa.