Ministry of Tourism designs specialised itineraries for shopping tourism
The Ministry of Tourism is designing specialised travel itineraries for shopping tourism across various regions as an effort to strengthen tourism appeal and increase tourist expenditure during their stay in Indonesia.
“Shopping tourism is very effective for increasing tourist movement. The hope is that tourist spending can increase, thereby impacting the national economy,” said Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa in Jakarta on Monday.
During the 10th anniversary celebration of the Indonesian Retailers and Shopping Centre Tenants Association (HIPPINDO) and the opening of the ‘Belanja di Indonesia Aja’ (BINA) Holiday & Back to School 2026 event, Ni Luh stated that shopping tourism holds great potential to be developed into a flagship attraction in various destinations. According to her, the retail sector plays a vital role in supporting the growth of the national tourism industry.
She noted that the collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and HIPPINDO has been ongoing through various programmes held during holiday periods, such as Christmas, New Year, Eid al-Fitr, and school holidays. Furthermore, Ni Luh explained that every city possesses different characteristics, allowing for the offering of unique shopping tourism experiences.
Cities such as Jakarta, Medan, Batress, Bali, and Bandung are considered to have the potential to be developed as shopping tourism destinations integrated with other tourist attractions. Consequently, she proposed that Indonesia should have clear shopping tourism travel patterns so that tourists can identify locations offering premium products when visiting a region.
This approach, she said, will ensure that Indonesia does not merely sell destinations, but also sells attractions capable of providing different experiences to tourists. “If they come to Jakarta, where should they go for shopping? If they come to Medan, where is the shopping? If they come to Batam or Bali, where is the shopping?” she remarked.
Ni Luh added that the promotion of local products and brands needs to be strengthened to serve as a reason for foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. As more premium products become known in the international market, shopping tourism is expected to increase average tourist expenditure and strengthen the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy.
“We hope this can also provide a real impact in increasing the consumption of the Indonesian people and contribute to achieving domestic tourism travel targets,” the Deputy Minister concluded.