Tourism Ministry devises strategy to develop health tourism in Indonesia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism has stated that it is drawing up and strengthening cross-sector strategies to develop health tourism in Indonesia.
“It is now time to strengthen collaboration between the tourism industry and the health industry so that we can create a mutually supportive ecosystem,” said Rizki Handayani, Acting Deputy for Industry and Investment at the Ministry of Tourism, in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday.
The strategy was discussed together with the Ministry of Health, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, the DKI Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office, the Indonesian Private Hospitals Association (ARSSI), the Indonesian Hospital Association (PERSI), and hospital representatives at a meeting held in Jakarta on Wednesday (23 July).
With growing public interest in fitness tourism, particularly in the domestic market, Indonesia has a major opportunity to develop health tourism as one of its flagship tourism products. As an initial step, the Ministry of Tourism, together with the Ministry of Health, PERSI and ARSSI, has mapped hospitals with the potential to be developed as health tourism destinations.
A total of 18 hospitals, comprising 15 in the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) area and three in Bali, have been designated as pilot projects. Among the hospitals included in the pilot project are Pondok Indah Hospital, Hermina Kemayoran, BIMC Nusa Dua, Mayapada Lebak Bulus, Siloam Semanggi, Pondok Indah Bintaro Hospital and Siloam Karawaci.
The 18 hospitals will also be featured in a health tourism catalogue currently being compiled by the Ministry of Tourism, which is targeted for completion in October 2026 as a promotional medium for Indonesian health tourism services.
Each hospital will undergo a comprehensive mapping process, from compiling profiles of its flagship services to calculating estimated health tourism packages.
The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Health will then conduct field surveys to develop parameters for centres of excellence, which will become the distinctive strengths of each hospital.
Collaboration will be carried out with the hotel sector, tour operators, travel agents, patient-friendly transport providers, including transport services with wheelchair facilities, as well as domestic and foreign insurance companies.
“This stage is part of efforts to build an integrated health tourism ecosystem through collaboration between healthcare facilities, tourism businesses and various relevant stakeholders,” said Rizki.
Yanti Herman, Director of Referral Health Services Development at the Ministry of Health, added that hospitals designated as pilot projects will be asked to conduct self-assessments to measure their readiness to develop medical tourism services, while at the same time strengthening their commitment to improving service quality oriented towards the patient experience.
Hospitals that meet the criteria and are committed to developing health tourism will receive various forms of support, including promotion of their healthcare facilities, training and mentoring towards international service standards, as well as various fiscal and non-fiscal facilitations.