Tourism Ministry and Statistics Bureau Strengthen Data Synergy on Tourism Satellite Account

Jakarta — Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry and Statistics Bureau (BPS) are strengthening synergy in developing Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) data to better measure tourism sector performance.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana stated that tourism’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a key performance indicator for the Tourism Ministry, making TSA data availability crucial for measuring tourism sector achievements.

During an online meeting with BPS on Monday 16 March, Widiyanti noted that whilst tourism’s GDP contribution is a vital performance indicator, the current two-year data release lag means the most recent figures do not fully reflect the tourism sector’s current conditions. Based on this approach, tourism’s GDP contribution for 2025 is estimated at 3.97 percent.

The Tourism Ministry is strengthening strategic collaboration with BPS to ensure more current, accurate, and responsive tourism sector data that serves national policy needs. BPS is expected to accelerate the calculation process for 2025 tourism GDP contribution or present alternative statistical approaches enabling more timely measurement. The Tourism Ministry is also promoting implementation of Passenger Exit Surveys (PES), which are critical for calculating foreign tourist spending or inbound tourism consumption, including at international airport executive lounges.

Coordination has been undertaken with lounge operators, including IAS Hospitality, which manages Sapphire Executive Lounge and Concordia Executive Lounge, as well as Garuda Executive Lounge. Both lounge operators have approved PES implementation, with specific mechanisms to follow established procedures.

Beyond strengthening tourism GDP data, both parties agreed to cooperate on developing tourism employment statistics for 2025, planned to be formalised through a Cooperation Agreement signature in late March 2026. Tourism employment calculations for 2025 will continue using the Standard Indonesian Business Classification (KBLI) 2015 to maintain consistency with National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) targets.

BPS Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti explained that Indonesia’s TSA is compiled using the TSA: Recommended Methodological Framework (RMF) and references the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics (IRTS), making the process complex as it involves multiple sectoral data sources.

Amalia added that the tourism and creative economy sectors have been designated as crucial new economic growth drivers for Indonesia, entering the Main Development Indicators in Law No. 59 of 2024 on the National Long-Term Development Plan 2025–2045. The government is targeting tourism’s GDP ratio to increase from approximately 4.6 percent in 2025 to 8 percent by 2045.