NTB Government Targets Increased Tourist Spending Through Culinary Festival
The strength of NTB’s tourism lies not only in its natural scenery, but also in the wealth of culture and cuisine that forms the region’s identity.
Mataram (ANTARA) - The Government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is targeting an increase in tourist spending as part of a strategy to strengthen creative economy-based tourism through the Mandalika Street Food Festival 2026.
Head of the NTB Tourism Office, Ahmad Nur Aulia, said the event aims to lengthen visitors’ stays in order to deliver greater economic impact for local businesses.
“The strength of NTB’s tourism lies not only in its natural scenery, but also in the wealth of culture and cuisine that forms the region’s identity,” he said in a statement in Mataram on Saturday.
The culinary festival, running from 10 to 12 July 2026, is one of the government’s efforts to strengthen Mandalika’s position as a tourist destination known not only for international sporting events but also as a culinary, cultural and creative economy destination.
Aulia said the street food festival in the Mandalika area of Central Lombok Regency serves as a promotional space for local businesses to introduce their products to domestic and foreign tourists alike.
“The event is a form of our commitment to providing a wider promotional space for local entrepreneurs while enriching the experience of tourists visiting NTB,” he said.
The Mandalika Street Food Festival 2026 features 24 culinary outlets and restaurants, eight coffee shops, and five craft and traditional textile (wastra) MSMEs from the island of Lombok.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of traditional dishes, such as ayam taliwang, sate rembiga, sate bulayak, sate tanjung, nasi balap, and an array of traditional snacks.
Aulia expressed hope that the festival will create a multiplier effect for the hotel, transport, trade and micro-enterprise sectors, given its proximity to the Pocari Sweat Run Lombok 2026 sporting event.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that the occupancy rate of starred hotels in West Nusa Tenggara in May 2026 reached 41.07 percent, up 5.01 points compared to April 2026 and up 2.31 points compared to May 2025.
By contrast, the occupancy rate of non-starred hotels was recorded at 27.99 percent, an increase of 1.39 points month-on-month, but down 3.75 points year-on-year.
The average length of stay for guests at starred hotels stood at 1.86 days, while the average for non-starred hotels fell to 1.55 days.
BPS also recorded that starred hotels accommodated 118,585 guests, of whom 61.34 percent were domestic and 38.66 percent foreign. Meanwhile, non-starred hotels recorded 156,461 guests, with 55.79 percent domestic and 44.21 percent foreign.