Ministry of Tourism Invites Japan Airlines to Enhance Connectivity to Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism has invited Japan Airlines (JAL) to enhance air connectivity that can facilitate tourists’ visits to cities across Indonesia and to collaborate on promoting tourism. “Air connectivity is a key factor in strengthening tourist flows between Indonesia and Japan. We hope Japan Airlines can explore opportunities to expand services to Indonesia, including increasing flight frequencies to Bali and opening access to priority destinations such as Yogyakarta,” said Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday. Widiyanti stated that Japan Airlines has contributed to connecting the two countries through its Tokyo–Jakarta flight services, which have played an important role in supporting tourist mobility, business travel, and people-to-people exchanges between Indonesia and Japan. Tourism relations between the two countries show a very positive trend. In 2025, Indonesia recorded more than 380,000 visits from Japanese tourists, an increase of more than 12 percent compared to the previous year. Therefore, Widiyanti emphasised that the current direct Indonesia–Japan flight seat capacity reaches around 685,000 seats per year with 46 flights per week, which is still below the potential travel demand of the two countries. She also mentioned Yogyakarta as a tourism destination with great potential for Japanese tourists due to its rich cultural heritage and proximity to Borobudur Temple, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. This destination is also supported by Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), which can accommodate wide-body aircraft. In addition to connectivity, both parties also discussed opportunities for tourism promotion collaboration through various Japan Airlines platforms, including in-flight magazines, digital channels, and the JAL Mileage Bank network, which can be integrated with the Wonderful Indonesia campaign. The Ministry of Tourism also encourages the organisation of familiarisation trips for Japanese travel agents, media, and influencers to enhance market understanding and expand promotion of Indonesian destinations in Japan. Through this meeting, Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with Japan Airlines as a strategic partner in supporting tourism growth, enhancing air connectivity, and fostering closer people-to-people relations between the two countries.