Sandiaga Uno Explores Strategic Investment in PT Mutuagung Lestari Tbk
Sandiaga Uno is exploring a strategic investment in PT Mutuagung Lestari Tbk (MUTU) on Thursday, 4 June 2026. This step was taken to encourage the strengthening of the tourism sector and the potential of the creative economy, as well as to support the sustainable development of Indonesia’s green economy. PT Mutuagung Lestari Tbk itself is a company founded in 1990 which operates in testing, inspection, and certification services.
This investment exploration is expected to broaden the scope of standardisation for the tourism and creative economy industries in the country. The tourism and creative economy sectors currently provide a home for 40 million Indonesians. Through strategic investment exploration, the creation of new jobs is continuously being spurred to accelerate national economic recovery and growth. The government is targeting the creation of 1.1 million jobs in the tourism and creative economy sector during the economic revival period, growing to reach 4.4 million jobs by 2024.
Beyond a focus on domestic investment, the strengthening of international air connectivity continues through joint marketing discussions with global airlines. One involves Qatar Airways, which currently has flight routes to 160 countries. The cooperation with the global airline focuses on increasing connectivity from Qatar as an international aviation hub to Indonesian destinations. The main priority is directed straight to the five Super Priority Destinations currently under development.
As a follow-up plan for the cooperation with Qatar Airways, both parties are drafting a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC). The momentum for strengthening this cooperation is proceeding continuously following the 2022 World Cup event. Nevertheless, there are challenges that must be resolved based on input from tour operators in Qatar. One of the main obstacles faced by industry players is the high price of flight tickets to destinations in Indonesia.
The effort to explore Indonesian tourism investment and expand connectivity also targets potential markets from various countries, including the South Asian and Pacific regions. Exploration of tourism cooperation opportunities is also being conducted intensively with New Zealand. Based on historical data, New Zealand’s borders were fully reopened to tourists on 31 July 2022. This recovery presents a great opportunity given the potential characteristics of visits from that country’s tourists. In 2018, tourist arrivals from New Zealand to Indonesia grew by 14 percent, totalling 128,325 visitors. The characteristics of travellers from this country are considered very favourable because they have an average length of stay reaching 10 to 11 days.
On the other hand, the Indian market also shows massive potential for the national tourism industry. Indonesia currently ranks 6th as the country with the most foreign tourist visits to Indonesia and 2nd in Bali after Australia for the 2023 period. The potential of the Indian market still has a great opportunity to be further optimised through Indian digital investment, especially considering data on tourist visits from India to Indonesia without direct flights currently reaching 600,000 people.