Tourism Ministry Backs Krista InterFOOD 2026 as Catalyst for Gastronomy Ecosystem
Jakarta – The Ministry of Tourism has given its full backing to the Krista InterFOOD 2026 exhibition, scheduled to take place from 4 to 7 November 2026 at the Nusantara International Convention Exhibition (NICE) in PIK 2. The event is regarded not merely as a business and promotional platform for food and beverage products, but also as a crucial instrument in building Indonesia’s gastronomy ecosystem from upstream to downstream.
This was conveyed by the Ministry’s Acting Deputy for Industry and Investment, Rizki Handayani Mustafa, during the launch of Krista InterFOOD 2026 at Balairung Soesilo Soedarman, Sapta Pesona Building, Jakarta, on Tuesday (23/6/2026).
“On behalf of the Minister of Tourism, we express our highest appreciation and full support for the organisation of Krista InterFOOD 2026. We see this exhibition not just as an exhibition or MICE event, but as a platform that has evolved to build and strengthen the tourism ecosystem, particularly gastronomy,” Rizki stated.
She noted that Krista Exhibition has successfully brought together multi-party collaboration involving the government, academia, business players, communities, and the media. This broad stakeholder engagement makes InterFOOD a comprehensive exhibition, covering the entire food supply chain from raw materials and technology to human resources and ready-to-consume food and beverage products.
Rizki assessed that strengthening the gastronomy sector is a key strategy in enhancing the quality of Indonesian tourism. Gastronomy is deeply rooted in culture, which serves as the nation’s identity and distinguishes Indonesia from other countries.
“Gastronomy is rooted in culture. Indonesia possesses extraordinary culinary diversity with hundreds of traditions and food resources spread across various regions. This potential must be continuously developed to become a world-class tourism attraction,” she said.
She further emphasised that gastronomy development aligns with the government’s agenda to bolster national food security. Exhibitions like InterFOOD are therefore expected to serve as a meeting point for all actors in the food ecosystem, including farmers, processing industries, MSMEs, and the tourism sector.
“We want InterFOOD to become a platform that encourages the development of regional food resources, strengthens food security, and simultaneously creates added value for the tourism and creative economy sectors,” she added.
The Ministry of Tourism is also developing the Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy programme, which aims to curate and promote the archipelago’s gastronomic wealth to the international market. The programme is run in collaboration with the Indonesia Gastronomy Network (IGN) and involves chefs, media, and industry players from various countries.
Rizki revealed potential future collaboration between Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy and Krista InterFOOD to strengthen the global promotion of Indonesian gastronomy. Furthermore, Indonesia is currently pushing for the establishment of an ASEAN Gastronomy Network, with hopes of becoming the main driver of this initiative in the Southeast Asian region.
She also encouraged InterFOOD to feature more educational activities, such as export workshops for food products, training on hygiene and food safety standards, and capacity building for MSMEs.
“This exhibition is already very comprehensive. In the future, it could perhaps include export training classes, hygiene workshops, and various capacity-building programmes to broaden the benefits for business players,” she said.
In her capacity overseeing industry and investment, Rizki also sees significant potential to introduce a dedicated gastronomy investment forum within the upcoming InterFOOD series.
“We see the potential to hold an investment forum on gastronomy. Many investors, both domestic and international, are interested in this sector. InterFOOD can be the gateway to connect investment opportunities with business players,” she stated.
Concluding her remarks, Rizki invited all stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in developing Indonesia’s food, culinary, and tourism industries.
“May Krista InterFOOD 2026 be a great success, generating more business opportunities, broader investment, and making a tangible contribution to the advancement of Indonesia’s tourism and economy,” she concluded before officially launching the Krista InterFOOD 2026 event.