Indonesia targets more South Korean tourists through sales mission

The sales mission in Busan and Gwangju generated a potential 3,470 tourist visits, with an estimated foreign exchange revenue of around Rp9.4 billion (US$526.79 thousand).

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Tourism Ministry is actively working to boost South Korean tourist arrivals to Indonesia through a series of promotional events at the "Indonesia Sales Mission 2026" held in Busan and Gwangju on June 10–12, 2026.

"Through this sales mission, we want to strengthen cooperation between Indonesian and South Korean tourism industry players while encouraging more visits from high-value tourists,” the ministry’s Deputy for Marketing, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, stated here on Monday.

She emphasized that the government is specifically looking for wealthy travelers interested in Indonesia's niche luxury, marine, wellness, and culinary tourism portfolios.

Made noted that South Korea remains one of the priority source markets for Indonesian tourism. Throughout 2025, South Korean tourist arrivals to the archipelago reached 496,862 people, marking a 13.97 percent increase compared to the previous year.

According to her, this positive growth trend provides the necessary momentum to expand market penetration through highly targeted and collaborative promotions.

The "Indonesia Sales Mission 2026" was organized as part of a broader promotional campaign at the "Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2026," focusing on strengthening partnerships between domestic and South Korean tourism industry operators.

Supported by the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Seoul and the Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in Busan, the Tourism Ministry partnered with eight Indonesian tourism companies to promote leading destinations, including Bali, Batam, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, East Java and Jakarta.

During the event, Indonesian sellers engaged with 27 to 30 potential South Korean buyers through business matching sessions and tabletop meetings, creating opportunities for broader collaboration in developing and marketing Indonesian tour packages.

"The sales mission in Busan and Gwangju generated a potential 3,470 tourist visits, with an estimated foreign exchange revenue of around Rp9.4 billion (US$526.79 thousand). This achievement demonstrates the high interest of the South Korean market," Made explained.

In addition to the business-to-business sessions, the ministry’s Assistant Deputy for International Tourism Marketing II signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gwangju Metropolitan City Tourism Association (GMCTA) in Gwangju.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen synergy in tourism promotion and marketing through joint business activities, seminars, travel marts and the regular exchange of market data.

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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma Shanti, Yashinta Difa

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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