Remaining 2026 Long Holiday Only at Christmas, Travel Businesses Race for Profit

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - People who have planned end-of-year holidays need to start paying closer attention to the calendar. After the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday holiday on 25 August 2026, there are no more public holidays until December.

According to the government calendar, the remaining national holidays and collective leave days in 2026 only fall during the Christmas period. Collective leave is set for Thursday, 24 December, while Friday, 25 December, is the Christmas national holiday.

This schedule opens up the opportunity for people to get a longer rest period. For workers who have Saturdays and Sundays off, the period could even become a four-day holiday stretch until Sunday, 27 December.

Budijanto Ardiansjah, Secretary-General of the Central Board of the Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA), sees that the Christmas momentum still holds prospects for the travel industry. The public’s holiday patterns during that period mean travel agents still have room to boost sales.

“For Christmas and New Year, we remain optimistic because schools are generally on holiday and people usually schedule their holidays during that period,” Budijanto told CNBC Indonesia on Wednesday (26/8/26).

The next long holiday opportunity only comes ahead of Christmas. This calendar situation makes the end-of-year moment one of the periods that people rely on again for travelling.

The absence of midweek public holidays over the next few months means people must be more selective in managing their travel time. Year-end holidays could potentially become one of the main moments for travel after August.

For the travel industry, this momentum is an opportunity to attract consumers again. Sales strategy does not depend solely on price, but also on how travel agents offer travel options that suit market conditions.

“The key lies in innovation and promotion,” said Budijanto.