Government supports development of local potential-based shopping tourism

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism is supporting efforts to develop shopping tourism services based on local potential to attract tourist visits. “The Ministry of Tourism wants to encourage a shopping tourism concept that is more experiential and based on Indonesia’s local strengths,” said Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism Ni Made Ayu Marthini in Jakarta on Saturday. The shopping tourism services referred to include not only modern shopping centres, but also craft centres, fashion, creative products, and regional culinary specialities. “Going forward, the Ministry of Tourism also wants Indonesia to be known not only as a nature and cultural destination, but also as a tourism destination that offers lifestyle tourism and a shopping experience based on local Indonesian products,” Made said. She highlighted the importance of destination managers’ ability to present integrated shopping tourism services with a variety of family activity facilities, especially during the school holiday period. “We see the school holidays as a strategic momentum. When destinations are able to present a tourism experience integrated with shopping and family entertainment, the potential for increased tourist movement will be much greater,” she said. At a time when domestic tourists are more selective in shopping and travelling, she said, destination managers are required to deliver a tourism experience commensurate with the costs incurred. Such a tourism experience can be presented in tourism service packages that include entertainment activities, culinary experiences, local product shopping, and family events. The programme opens opportunities for citizens to enjoy various shopping promotion programmes, family events, and tourism packages encompassing creative economy centres in various regions. During the school holidays, family-friendly, easily accessible shopping tourism services that can provide a cross-generational experience are the focus of tourism promotion to encourage an increase in domestic tourist travel. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that domestic tourist trips from January to April 2026 reached 417.06 million trips, an increase of 1.48 percent compared to the same period the previous year.