Ministry of Tourism prepares strategic programmes to face challenges in the tourism sector
Jakarta — The Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is preparing strategic programmes to tackle challenges in the tourism sector during 2026. Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, at the National Tourism Coordination Meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, outlined three global challenges currently facing the tourism sector: geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East, shifts in global market trends, and climate change.
The war involving Israel, the United States, and Iran in the Middle East affects international tourist arrivals and impacts foreign exchange earnings. Additionally, digitalisation has led to changes in the use of tourism services. Tourists now desire experiences that are unique, personalised, and of high quality.
The Tourism Minister said that climate change also affects weather conditions and the potential for disasters. Weather that is increasingly difficult to predict also affects tourism activities. Domestically, Widiyanti continued, tourism businesses face challenges related to the evolution of tourism business models, infrastructure constraints, and safety practices in tourism activities.
To address these challenges, she said, the Ministry has prepared five strategic programmes aligned with the Asta Cita of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. The five programmes are: enhancing safety in tourism, developing tourist villages, boosting high-quality tourism, Event by Indonesia, and Tourism 5.0.
The development of tourist villages includes implementing the Sertifikasi Desa Wisata (Sertidewi) and halal certification in collaboration with the Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH). To improve the provision of high-quality tourism services, the minister said, the government is promoting the development of niche tourism such as gastronomy, maritime, wellness, textiles (wastra), and the arts and culture.
“Quality tourism means we are no longer solely focused on the quantity of visitors, but also on the quality, i.e., visitors who spend more,” she said.
In the Event by Indonesia programme, the Ministry targets organising a range of events and activities that showcase Indonesia’s identity in Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN). Tourism 5.0 has been introduced to respond to visitors’ needs for easier access to more personalised tourism services with the support of a digital platform.