Indonesia taps tourism villages, events to drive inclusive growth

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is focusing its tourism sector development on tourism villages and the Event by Indonesia program in 2026 to drive inclusive growth and equitable development.

Head of the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom), Muhammad Qodari, stated that the Ministry of Tourism is implementing five flagship initiatives in 2026: improving tourism safety, quality tourism, Event by Indonesia, tourism villages, and Tourism 5.0.

"In the context of inclusive growth and equitable development, the two programs receiving the primary focus are tourism villages and Event by Indonesia," Qodari said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He explained that under the tourism village program, the government is not only seeking to increase the quantity of tourism villages but also the quality of management.

Currently, there are more than 6,200 tourism villages spread across Indonesia.

Quality improvements are being driven through various certification programs, including halal certification in collaboration with the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH).

As of May 29, 2026, a total of 31,548 certificates have been issued across 1,116 tourism villages.

In addition, Qodari said, the government provides management mentoring and collaborates with various strategic partners.

"As a result, 50 tourism villages that won the 2024 Indonesian Tourism Village Award and received mentoring recorded a 44.8 percent surge in visitors, rising from 1.6 million to 2.32 million," he explained.

He said that these tourism villages also saw a 29.41 percent increase in revenue from Rp46 billion (approximately US$2.58 million) to Rp59.6 billion.

Meanwhile, through the Event by Indonesia program, the Ministry of Tourism supports local events via the Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) initiative, promoting flagship events from various regions in the country.

Qodari noted that in 2025, the program successfully backed 98 events that drew 10.8 million visitors.

These events generated Rp7 trillion in economic turnover, involved 15,400 micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) players, and benefited 219,100 workers, artists, and residents.

"This momentum must continue in 2026 with a target of 125 events selected in 38 provinces," he added.

According to Qodari, as of June 15, 2026, 38 events had already been held, drawing 1.19 million visitors and generating Rp86 billion in economic turnover.

These events involved 4,670 MSME players and benefited 30,873 workers, artists, and residents.

He added that alongside these two initiatives, the ministry is rolling out its Tourism 5.0 program. This includes the launch of an artificial intelligence platform called MaiA, which is powered by data from the Wonderful Indonesia ecosystem and the ministry.

"MaiA is designed to provide curated, comprehensive, and up-to-date destination recommendations. This includes helping families plan practical, budget-friendly, and family-friendly itineraries during the school holidays," he said.

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Translator: Fathur R, Genta T, Raka Adji

Editor: Arie Novarina

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