Transport Minister states Eid holiday travellers to Gorontalo to reach 340,000 in 2026
Gorontalo (ANTARA) — Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has given significant attention to organising the 2026 Eid holiday transport operations in Gorontalo Province, given that approximately 340,000 homebound travellers are expected to have Gorontalo as their destination this year.
The minister disclosed this during a Transport Coordination Meeting for the Eid holiday held at the VIP terminal of Djalaludin Airport in Gorontalo Regency on Saturday.
Based on data from the Transport Ministry, approximately 340,000 people will undertake the Eid holiday homebound journey with Gorontalo as their destination this year.
According to the minister, with such a substantial figure, the movement of residents during the outbound and return migration periods must be managed effectively to guarantee smooth operations and public safety.
“340,000 is quite a large number; we cannot overlook it. Therefore, we have visited Gorontalo, which has special characteristics relating to mobility throughout the 2026 Eid holiday, both at the Djalaludin Airport transport hub and at various crossing points,” said Dudy.
He noted that based on national survey results, this year it is predicted that approximately 143 million people will undertake Eid holiday homebound journeys.
This figure represents a decrease of 1.75 per cent compared to the previous year, though such a decline must still be anticipated given the surge that occurred in 2025.
Beyond organising holiday transport, Transport Minister Dudy also reminded relevant officials in Gorontalo to anticipate local phenomena in the region, such as Malam Qunut, Pasar Senggol markets, the Tumbilotohe tradition or lamp-lighting night, and ketupat Eid celebrations, including visits to tourist destinations.
These local activities must receive serious attention to prevent them from becoming obstacles to road users.
“We are beginning operations at the 2026 Eid Transport Command Post from 13 to 30 March 2026. The hope is that there will be synergy between the central and regional governments, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and all stakeholders for smooth outbound and return migration flows,” he said.
Gorontalo Governor Gusnar Ismail expressed his gratitude for the Transport Minister’s visit to the Serambi Madinah region.
According to him, this visit reflects the strong communication that has been established, resulting in Gorontalo becoming one of the provinces visited by the Transport Minister regarding the organisation of the 2026 Eid holiday transport operations.
“The Transport Minister’s visit represents support for us in consolidating the implementation of Eid holiday transport in Gorontalo Province,” said Gusnar.