Minister hopes PM Modi's visit boosts Prambanan Temple's global exposure
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana hopes the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can increase the exposure of Prambanan Temple in the Indian and international markets.
“We hope that more and more Indian tourists will visit priority tourism destinations such as Prambanan Temple, Borobudur, and tourism villages,” said Widiyanti in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday.
During her visit to Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta on Wednesday (8/7), accompanying President Prabowo Subianto, Widiyanti assessed that the momentum of PM Modi’s visit could be used as a high-value promotional tool to introduce Indonesia’s cultural and tourism wealth to global audiences.
The cultural closeness between Indonesia and India also means that a number of destinations in Indonesia have strong potential to be developed for the Indian tourist market, particularly in the spiritual and cultural tourism segments.
She cited the example that since 2025 the Indonesian government has developed the Siwaratri and Mahasiwaratri observances as part of religious and cultural activities with the potential to attract foreign tourists from India.
On the other hand, to attract tourists to Prambanan Temple, the Ministry of Tourism is also working with various parties to present attractive tourism packages while strengthening connectivity to the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java.
To make it easier for tourists from India and other countries to visit Yogyakarta, the Ministry of Tourism is encouraging the opening of direct flights to Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), including through coordination with the Indian government to open routes to YIA, as well as urging Angkasa Pura to provide incentives in the form of exemptions from aircraft landing and parking fees during certain periods.
According to her, with broader connectivity, opportunities are expected to open up further for increased tourist visits, cultural exchanges, MICE activities, tourism investment, and the development of tourism packages based on culture, spirituality, fitness, and cultural heritage.
The Ministry of Tourism has also pushed for India to be included in the Visit Visa-Free (BVK) scheme for tourists. The proposal is currently still under discussion under the coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
“Through the momentum of Prime Minister Modi’s visit, we hope to further strengthen Indonesia’s image as a world-class tourism destination in the eyes of Indian tourists and the international community,” she said.
The scope of the cooperation includes research and development, education and training, promotion, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), investment, and private sector cooperation.
On 30 May 2018, Indonesia and India also agreed to establish a Joint Task Force to enhance connectivity between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the provinces on the island of Sumatra. Follow-up actions by the Joint Task Force continued until 2020, including through joint tourism promotion, tourism package development, and cultural exchanges.
Indonesia–India relations are also being further strengthened through various multilateral cooperation forums, such as ASEAN–India cooperation related to the Joint Statement on cooperation in supporting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The number of foreign tourist visits from India between January and May 2026 stood at 298,450, an increase (+0.40 per cent) from the same period the previous year.
Indian tourist arrivals have also shown a positive trend during the 2023 to 2025 period, growing from 606,439 in 2023 to 734,490 in 2025.