Tourism Ministry monitors Middle East conflict developments to safeguard Indonesian tourism
Jakarta — Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry has stated that it continues to monitor developments in the Middle East conflict and global dynamics as part of its efforts to ensure tourism destinations in Indonesia remain safe for tourists.
“We also ensure that tourists currently in Indonesia continue to receive good service and support,” said Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana during the Tourism Ministry’s Monthly Report in Jakarta on Thursday.
Widiyanti explained that the tourism sector has close links with mobility and cross-border travel. Developments occurring in various regions of the world can create uncertainty in international travel, both for tourists and the global tourism industry.
In response to these conditions, the Tourism Ministry continues to take adaptive measures to maintain the momentum of Indonesia’s tourism growth.
In addition to shifting target markets, the Tourism Ministry is also intensifying the promotion of Indonesian tourism through more extensive digital campaigns, increasing the organisation of various cross-border activities and events, and strengthening the interest of domestic tourists in travelling within the country.
Regarding the closure of airspace in the Middle East region, which had an impact on travel for some tourists, the government has taken the necessary steps to ensure that tourists can wait safely until their travel can be resumed.
Malaysia is the largest contributor with 150,500 visits, followed by Australia, China, Singapore, and India. Data from other border entry points will soon be published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Puspa revealed that the number of domestic tourist trips in January 2026 reached 102.04 million trips, or slightly decreased by approximately 0.93 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year.
“Domestic tourist movement is expected to increase again along with various holiday moments and increasingly numerous travel packages offered by industry players. The government is optimistic that it can achieve the target of 1.18 billion domestic tourist trips in 2026 through various promotion programmes and improved destination readiness,” said Ni Luh.
Malaysia and Singapore are the main choices due to geographical proximity and ease of access, whilst Saudi Arabia is dominated by Umrah pilgrimage travel.
Compared with the number of Indonesian tourists travelling abroad, the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia is still higher, especially with the addition of data from the Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) method. With these provisional data conditions, Indonesia still recorded a positive tourism foreign currency balance.