Tourists seek unique experiences in Indonesia through 'WITF'
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourists and buyers attending the tourism exhibition titled ‘Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Fair (WITF) 2026’ are seeking unique travel experiences not found in their home countries, including Indonesia’s natural beauty, culture, and diverse tour packages.
The Chairman of the WITF 2026 Steering Committee, Budi Tirtawisata, stated that experience is one of the primary factors buyers look for when selecting Indonesian tourism products, rather than just accommodation such as hotels.
“The most important thing is how we can provide an experience in Indonesia. It is not just about selling hotels, but in addition to hotels, what other tour packages are available?” said Budi in Jakarta on Wednesday.
An example includes the experience of watching the sunrise at Borobudur Temple through a sunrise tour starting around 4 am, which is an experience not easily found in other countries.
Leveraging this potential, the Ministry of Tourism, together with the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI) and the Provincial Government of Jakarta, is presenting ‘WITF 2026’ as an effort to ensure the distribution of industry participants (sellers) from various regions across Indonesia, ranging from West Sumatra and South Sumatra to Maluku.
On the buyer side, Budi noted that participants for ‘WITF 2026’ have been curated from more than 35 countries. This curation considers several factors, including the availability of direct flights and ease of obtaining visas to Indonesia.
“We look for those with direct flights, for example. We look for those with easier visa access to Indonesia. This allows them to provide experiences or tour packages to their clients,” he said.
Now in its third year, the organisation of WITF is directed towards bringing Indonesian tourism industry players together with decision-makers and buyers from various markets through a B2B Tourism Tradeshow platform.
‘WITF 2026’ will bring together dozens of tour operators, travel agents, hotels, transport companies, airlines, passenger trains, tourism villages, liveaboards, theme parks, restaurants, wellness centres, and various other supporting tourism products and services.
On the demand side, ‘WITF 2026’ has invited more than 100 international buyers from 34 countries, who will be matched with Indonesian exhibitors through a series of business matching sessions.