Tour Leader Academy by Hobiholidays Launches 100-Hour Training to Prepare Professional Tourism Professionals

The revival of Indonesia’s tourism industry is driving an increasing demand for competent human resources in the travel sector. In response to this trend, travel company Hobiholidays has launched Tour Leader Academy by Hobiholidays. The training programme is comprehensively designed to prepare professionals in the field. The programme, billed as Indonesia’s first tour leader school, offers an intensive 100-hour course combining theory and practice. The initiative stems from the company’s observation of growing public interest in pursuing the tour leader profession seriously. Hobiholidays CEO Widyo Dedy Nugroho said that in recent years the tour leader profession is no longer seen as a mere job for travelling, but as a promising professional career in the tourism industry. “We see a very positive trend. Many participants come not only with dreams of travelling, but with a serious intention to make tour leading a profession,” he said in a formal statement. The strong interest was evident from the enthusiasm shown when registration for the first batch of the Tour Leader Academy opened, which quickly filled up. Applicants came from diverse backgrounds, from youth to professionals looking to develop their careers in the tourism industry. Hobiholidays General Manager and academy programme lead Wilson H. Malau explained that the training curriculum is designed to align with the needs of the travel industry today. According to Wilson, graduates of the programme are expected to possess sufficient competence to work directly in the tour and travel industry. “With 100 hours of learning, both theory and practice, we hope graduates can be absorbed into the tour and travel industry. In addition, the best graduates will be contracted by Hobiholidays,” he said. The Tour Leader Academy sits within Hobiholidays’ travel business ecosystem, so the curriculum is crafted directly by industry practitioners. The programme combines classroom learning with simulations of real-world conditions typically faced by a tour leader while guiding tours. Some of the key modules include leadership and group handling, itinerary planning, time management, and problem solving that arises during trips. In addition, participants are equipped with communication and public speaking skills to guide tourists professionally. Another module covered is travel content creation, which is increasingly important in the digital era for promoting destinations. “At Tour Leader Academy, participants do not only learn theory. They are prepared to go into the field, from leading groups to arranging itineraries, and dealing with various real-world conditions during tours,” Wilson said. After completing the training, participants will also undergo simulated practice designed to resemble real field conditions. This approach is hoped to enhance participants’ readiness before they actually lead tours. As interest grows, Hobiholidays has reopened registrations for the March Intake 2026. The programme offers several class options to accommodate different schedules. The class options include the Executive Class, held on weekends (Saturday–Sunday), and two regular classes scheduled on weekdays: Regular Class I on Monday–Wednesday and Regular Class II on Wednesday–Friday. The company notes that the number of places available in each batch is fairly limited because the training is designed with an intensive approach. Through this programme, Hobiholidays aims to foster a new generation of professional tour leaders in Indonesia capable of meeting the tourism industry’s evolving needs. The company, established in 2017 through the entity PT Semesta Hobi Wisata, previously known as a provider of international travel services with destinations across five continents. To date, Hobiholidays claims to have served more than 15,000 customers from across Indonesia. With the Tour Leader Academy, the company hopes to contribute to improving the quality of human resources in the national tourism industry while also opening new career opportunities for people interested in pursuing the tour leader profession.