Prambanan as India-Indonesia tourism bridge: Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said Indonesia and India share strong civilizational ties, with Prambanan Temple serving as an important bridge to strengthen cultural and spiritual tourism between the two countries.

"We want to position Prambanan as one of the key bridges for strengthening cultural and spiritual tourism ties between Indonesia and India. Together with Bali, Prambanan has strong emotional and spiritual significance for Indian visitors," Widiyanti said in an official statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.

During her working visit to Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta on Wednesday (July 8), accompanying Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Widiyanti said the long-standing partnership between the two nations is reflected in their shared artistic traditions, language, literature, architecture, spiritual practices, and epic narratives such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

She noted that Prambanan Temple stands as one of the most enduring symbols of the close civilizational ties between Indonesia and India.

The Hindu temple complex not only showcases Indonesia's rich architectural and spiritual heritage but also demonstrates how Indian civilizational values were embraced, adapted, and enriched into a distinctively Indonesian cultural expression.

The minister said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Prambanan Temple marks an important milestone in strengthening bilateral ties through culture, spirituality, and tourism.

"We view PM Modi's visit to Prambanan as a significant opportunity to strengthen people-to-people ties between Indonesia and India. The relationship between our two countries extends beyond diplomacy. It is rooted in centuries of shared culture and civilization," she said.

Indonesia recorded 298,450 visitor arrivals from India between January and May 2026, up 0.40 percent compared to the same period in 2025.

Indian tourist arrivals have also shown steady growth over the past three years, increasing from 606,439 in 2023 to 734,490 in 2025.

Widiyanti noted tourism cooperation between the two countries is expected to grow not only in terms of visitor numbers but also through higher quality travel experiences, stronger cultural connections, and closer people-to-people exchanges.

Widiyanti expressed hope that PM Modi's visit would further raise the global profile of Indonesian tourism, particularly Prambanan Temple as a world-class cultural tourism destination.

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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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