Ministry eyes Saudi tourists via Garuda empty-leg flights

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Tourism Ministry is ready to optimize Garuda Indonesia’s "empty leg" Hajj return flights to attract foreign tourists from Saudi Arabia.

The initiative follows a decision by Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which has officially allowed Indonesia's flag carrier to carry commercial passengers on return flights that previously flew empty after transporting Indonesian Hajj pilgrims to Saudi.

“In principle, the Tourism Ministry fully supports and welcomes this development, as we have clear targets for foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia," Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Puspa said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.

Despite the short preparation time this year, the initiative has shown promise with around 1,723 seats on empty-leg flights already filled.

With longer preparation period ahead of the next Hajj season, the ministry aims to further increase passenger occupancy on the return flights.

To achieve this goal, Puspa emphasized the need for close coordination among the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Garuda Indonesia, and the Transportation Ministry, particularly in strengthening promotional strategies.

The strategic pivot toward the Saudi Arabian market is designed to attract high-spending visitors to Indonesian destinations.

Therefore, the ministry plans to intensify promotional campaigns in Saudi Arabia through digital marketing, sales missions and business-to-business (B2B) matchmaking events.

This targeted approach aims to fill the aircraft with high-spending Saudi Arabian tourists, allowing the ministry to measure and maximize their economic impact while in Indonesia.

"We need data from Garuda Indonesia regarding the tourists' final destinations within Indonesia, so we can strengthen those specific local economies and tourism industries," Puspa said.

She added that this inter-ministerial synergy fulfills a key economic objective in line with President Prabowo Subianto's goal to maximize national assets and drive sustainable tourism growth across the archipelago.

Related news: Indonesia targets 1.18 bln domestic tourist trips in 2026

Translator: M. Riezko Bima Elko Prasetyo, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Bayu Prasetyo

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