Indonesia focuses on developing high-quality wellness tourism
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana stated that Indonesia is currently focusing on developing quality wellness tourism that is globally competitive.
“We have designated wellness tourism as one of the focuses in quality tourism development,” said Widiyanti at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
Widiyanti said that in its development, the Indonesian Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, has launched the “Wonderful Indonesia Wellness” programme.
“Wonderful Indonesia Wellness” will run for a full month from 1 to 30 November 2025, uniting the regional Royal Surakarta Wellness Festival, organised by the Surakarta Royal Court, with the Jogja Cultural Wellness Festival, held by the Yogyakarta Regional Tourism Promotion Board.
The “Royal Surakarta Wellness Festival” includes activities such as Javanese Wisdom Immersion, Gending for Therapy, Royal Dance Symphony, A Holy Journey, and Javanese Secret Recipe.
Meanwhile, the “Jogja Cultural Wellness Festival” features wellness sessions such as Healthy Food and Herbals, Eco-Friendly Living, Spiritual Wellness and Energy Healing, Natural Beauty, Family and Inner Child, and Harmony in Wellness.
She explained that the background for developing wellness tourism stems from the fact that tourism is no longer about which destinations travellers visit, but rather about the desire to gain more meaningful experiences.
“We are entering an era when experience becomes more valuable than ownership. Human connection is worth more than mere convenience, and time spent away from the digital world has become a luxury,” she said.
From an experiential perspective, Widiyanti highlighted that more and more people want to break free from routine, savour the moment and truly feel alive. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, a countervailing trend has emerged in the real world.
People are increasingly seeking authentic experiences, genuine interactions, and places capable of evoking emotion and leaving a lasting impression.
“Extreme AI is creating extreme analog. This trend is reflected in the growth of the experience economy, including the fitness and wellness sector, which has become one of the fastest-growing industries in the world,” said Widiyanti.
UN Tourism has also previously stated that sports tourism accounted for around 10 per cent of total global tourism spending in 2023 and is projected to continue growing to 17.5 per cent between 2023 and 2030.
In addition, according to an American Express Travel survey cited in the Indonesia Tourism Outlook 2025 and 2026 — a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Bappenas and Bank Indonesia — travellers, particularly millennials and Generation Z, are projected to travel increasingly actively, both domestically and internationally.
Their motivation is not only to visit destinations but also to gain new experiences, attend events, and enjoy sports and wellness activities.
Data from the Global Wellness Institute in 2024 also highlighted that Indonesia is the largest wellness economy in Southeast Asia, valued at US$55.77 billion.
Meanwhile, Nielsen’s 2025 survey showed that 86 per cent of Indonesians are now increasingly proactive in maintaining their health, even above the global average. Taken together, this shows that Indonesia has a very real opportunity to become one of the leading sports and wellness tourism destinations in the region.
“We believe that the development of wellness tourism can succeed through close collaboration between the government, the business community, communities, and all stakeholders,” she said.