Ministry of Tourism encourages tourists to seek diverse experiences within single destinations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism is encouraging tourists not to limit themselves to a single destination, but to discover a variety of experiences during their travels, ranging from culinary and cultural adventures to marine activities and other forms of tourism.

“How can we ensure that the experience of staying in Indonesia becomes higher quality and that the benefits can be felt more widely by the Indonesian people,” said Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday.

Ni Luh stated that an experience-based marketing approach is aimed at ensuring tourists do not merely visit a place, but also obtain authentic, personal, and meaningful experiences while in Indonesia. The richness of Indonesia’s destinations, culture, and hospitality needs to be translated into tourism experiences that possess higher value and competitiveness.

Ni Luh exemplified that this approach can be applied to the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. Conference or meeting participants should not only follow the main agenda but can extend their journeys by enjoying local cuisine, visiting attractions, or participating in activities that introduce the culture and character of the region where the event is held.

This direction is one of the focuses of the ‘Go Beyond Ordinary’ campaign, where tourism marketing is directed not just towards destinations, but towards the experiences that tourists can find.

The Ministry of Tourism, she added, is also strengthening five types of special interest tourism through the Quality Tourism Programme, namely gastronomy, marine, wellness, textiles (wastra), as well as arts and design tourism.

Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism, Ni Made Ayu Marthine, added that interest in experiences is increasingly evident among younger tourists. In a study presented at the Indonesia Tourism & MICE Outlook 2027, approximately 52 per cent of Gen Z tourists travel specifically to seek experiences.

“What we are encouraging is non-conventional, non-ordinary tourism, so that tourism activities can be more widely distributed,” said Made.

The strengthening of experience-based marketing is also supported by technology through MaiA (Meticulous Artificial Intelligence of Indonesia) on indonesia.travel. This technology assists tourists in finding information regarding destinations and various tourism activities.

“When tourists search for experiential tourism in Indonesia, MaiA will provide recommendations,” said Made.