Whoosh High-Speed Train Brings Nearly 70,000 Foreign Tourists to West Java by May 2026: BPS

The Whoosh High-Speed Train has become a significant new gateway and magnet for the movement of foreign nationals into West Java throughout the first five months of 2026, bringing nearly 70,000 foreign tourists, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS). “During the January–May 2026 period, a cumulative total of 69,874 foreign national arrivals to West Java via Whoosh stations was recorded. Specifically in May 2026, foreign arrivals surged 27.32 per cent month-to-month to 17,523 visits, with Padalarang Station being the most dominant exit point at 86.62 per cent,” said Margaretha Ari Anggorowati, Head of BPS West Java Province, in Bandung on Wednesday. Ari explained that besides the high-speed train, direct foreign tourist visits through Kertajati International Airport in May 2026 reached 241 visits, growing 11.06 per cent monthly, dominated by Singaporean nationals at 48.96 per cent and Malaysians at 12.45 per cent. Given this situation, tourism activity is increasingly robust, driven by the massive mobility of domestic tourists in West Java, which reached 19.52 million trips in May 2026, bringing the total accumulated domestic tourist trips for January–May 2026 to 93.45 million trips, a 5.78 per cent year-on-year increase. “The areas that are consistently the main favourites for domestic tourist trips are Bogor Regency at 15.70 per cent and Bandung City at 10.88 per cent,” Ari stated. She said the surge in visitor arrivals positively impacted the occupancy rate of star-rated hotels, which rose 1.95 points to 48.21 per cent, with the highest rate in Purwakarta Regency at 66.83 per cent, while the occupancy rate for non-star hotels crept up 2.18 points to 26.19 per cent. In the public transport sector, the total volume of Whoosh high-speed train users grew 5.23 per cent, and conventional train passengers rose 6.95 per cent month-to-month. However, she continued, the most fantastic surge occurred in international air transport performance at Kertajati Airport, which soared 93.98 per cent, triggered by the Hajj season. “This drastic surge in international flight routes was caused by the departure momentum of West Java Hajj pilgrims through Kertajati Airport. This also impacted the international air cargo sector, which was lifted by 107.90 per cent month-to-month,” Ari said.