Energy Prices Rise, Yet Indonesians Continue Travelling
Despite an increase in energy prices amid the Middle East conflict and various other challenges, Indonesians continue to engage in travel activities. In fact, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that in the first quarter of 2026, the number of domestic trips by Indonesians, known as domestic tourists (wisnus), reached the highest level in at least the last six years.
According to BPS data, in March 2026, the number of wisnus trips reached 126.34 million visits. This figure increased by 38.63% month-to-month compared to February 2026, and rose by 42.10% year-on-year compared to the same period last year.
Cumulatively from January to March 2026, BPS recorded 319.51 million wisnus trips. This number increased by 7.07% compared to the previous quarter, or the fourth quarter of 2025.
“Domestic tourist trips from January to March 2026 increased by 13.14% compared to the same period in 2025,” said Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS, Ateng Hartono, during a press conference at the BPS Building on Monday (4/5/2026).
The number of wisnus in the first quarter of 2026 was the highest since 2021. The number of wisnus has been steadily increasing year after year. In 2021, the first quarter wisnus reached 139.76 million visits. In 2022, it increased by 42.49% to 199.14 million visits. Then it rose by 5.75% to 210.58 million visits in 2023. In 2024, it reached 250.56 million, or up 18.99%, followed by a 12.71% increase to 282.41 million in 2025. The upward trend continued in 2026.
“Domestic tourist trips in the first quarter of 2026 experienced an increase driven by long weekends and the peak season holidays of Nyepi and Eid al-Fitr which occurred in March 2026, as well as flexible working arrangements (FWA),” he explained.
Meanwhile, regarding data on the number of national tourist trips (wisnas) or Indonesians travelling abroad, BPS recorded an increase. In March 2026, the number of wisnas trips reached 793,158. This figure increased by 13.14% month-to-month compared to February 2026, and rose by 36.26% year-on-year compared to the same period the previous year.
“From January to March 2026, the number of wisnas trips reached 2.5 million. Cumulatively, it increased by 7.27%,” Ateng stated.
The number of wisnas trips in the first quarter of 2026 was the highest in the last six years. In 2025, the number was 2.33 million trips, 2024 (2.18 million trips), 2023 (1.89 million trips), 2022 (181,239 trips), and 2021 (374,779 trips).