Ministry of Tourism develops system to improve digital accommodation governance
JAKARTA — Ministry of Tourism strengthens collaboration with online travel agents (OTAs) to organise the national tourism digital ecosystem by developing an API-based verification system. Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana wants to ensure all accommodations marketed through digital platforms have obtained Business Permits.
“Our policy direction is clear. We aim to foster a fair and competitive tourism industry for sustainable growth,” said Widi during a press conference titled “Improving the Quality of Tourism Business Ecosystem Governance in the Accommodation Sector” at the Ministry of Tourism in Jakarta on Tuesday (26 May 2026).
Widi said the regulation is designed to sustain the tourism industry ecosystem, protect tourists’ rights and satisfaction, create a healthy and orderly business climate, and promote good digital governance. She noted the API system is currently in internal development before integration with OTA partners.
“In the implementation plan, OTAs will require businesses to provide three key data points: Business Registration Number (NIB), Indonesian Standard Industrial Classification (KBLI), and Business Activity Number (NKU),” Widi said.
She said the data will be used by OTAs and the Ministry of Tourism, integrated with the Online Single Submission (OSS) system, to automatically verify Business Permits. If the information matches, accommodation providers (merchants/hosts) will be verified and approved to operate on OTA platforms. If not, applications will be rejected.
Widi stated the process will create faster and more accurate verification, ensure accurate and relevant information for all parties, and support licensed accommodation labeling on OTA platforms. The system is targeted for launch in June 2027.
“If the system is active, OTA operators must ensure no accommodations, properties, or partners are listed without a valid NIB and appropriate KBLI,” Widi added.
To ensure effectiveness, the ministry has prepared four comprehensive guides on Business Permits. Widi requested all OTA platforms distribute these videos to accommodation owners and include them on their websites as guidance for setting up accommodation businesses in Indonesia.
Previously, since March 2025, the Ministry of Tourism has collaborated with regional governments and OTAs, including five provincial awareness campaigns, six coaching clinics educating over 1,500 business operators, and collaboration with nine OTA partners to communicate regulatory requirements.
As of 20 May 2026, data shows a 46.5% increase in short-term accommodation units officially registered with NIB in the OSS system across eight tourism-related KBLI categories compared to 31 March 2025. Villa accommodations saw the highest growth at 76.4%.
“This shows more tourism accommodation businesses are entering the formal system and meeting their obligations,” Widi said.
Widi credited the positive progress to collaboration with provincial and district governments, OTA partners, and associations. The ministry has identified unlicensed accommodations and will hand over the list to OTAs for delisting within two months of notification. If the merchants obtain permits, they can be relisted.