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INDONESIA’s tourism sector has demonstrated strong resilience and competitiveness amidst global geopolitical dynamics, recording positive tourism performance through April 2026, both in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, tourism foreign exchange earnings, and domestic tourist movements.
Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, while presenting the Ministry of Tourism’s Monthly Performance Report on Friday (June 5, 2026), stated that these achievements are a strong signal that Indonesia remains a competitive, attractive, and trusted destination in the international market.
“Indonesian tourism is currently on a very positive growth path. This growth is driven by an increase in foreign tourist arrivals and an increase in average tourist spending per visit. This proves that the strategy to strengthen destination quality is starting to bear fruit,” said Widiyanti.
Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of foreign tourist visits in April 2026 reached 1.25 million, a 7.22% increase compared to the 1.16 million recorded in April 2025. Cumulatively, from January to April 2026, the number of foreign tourist visits reached 4.68 million, an 8.24% increase compared to the 4.33 million visits recorded in the same period the previous year.
In terms of entry points, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali remained the main gateway for foreign tourist arrivals in April 2026, with 552,961 visits. Next came Soekarno-Hatta International Airport with 227,830 visits, and Batam, via sea, with 110,535 visits.
Meanwhile, Malaysia was the largest source of foreign tourists with 207,957 visits, followed by Australia with 157,960 visits, China with 133,986 visits, Singapore with 111,439 visits, and Timor-Leste with 75,477 visits.
This increase in tourist visits also had a positive impact on the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Bank Indonesia recorded that tourism foreign exchange in the first quarter of 2026 reached US$4.05 billion (approximately IDR68.28 trillion), a 6.30% increase compared to the same period last year of US$3.81 billion (approximately IDR62.29 trillion).
Meanwhile, domestic tourist arrivals also continued to show a positive trend. As of April 2026, the number of domestic tourist trips reached 417.06 million, representing a 1.48% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
Synergy and Quality Tourism
Throughout May 2026, the Ministry of Tourism continued to strengthen collaboration with various ministries and institutions to support national development programs. These efforts were not only oriented towards increasing tourist arrivals but also aimed at strengthening sustainability and equitable distribution of economic benefits for the community.
This commitment was reinforced through the 2026 National Coordination Meeting for Tourism held on May 20–21, 2026, which served as a strategic forum for policy alignment toward the 2029 national tourism development targets.
“Through the Meeting, the Ministry of Tourism emphasized the importance of policy alignment, strengthening the economic impact of programs, optimizing financing, and accelerating tourism infrastructure development to ensure higher quality, competitiveness, and broad impact,” she affirmed.
To encourage the implementation of quality and sustainable tourism, the Minister of Tourism also conducted a working visit to the Arborek Tourism Village in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua.
“In Raja Ampat, our focus is on preserving the environment, controlling the destination’s carrying capacity, and anticipating over tourism. We want the benefits of tourism to be based on the quality of the experience and the sustainability of the destination, not just the quantity,” Widiyanti added.
The Ministry of Tourism also continues to strengthen the Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem through collaboration with the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH). One example of this is seen in the Jatimulyo Tourism Village in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
As of May 29, 2026, this collaboration had resulted in 31,548 halal certificates issued to businesses in 1,116 tourist villages across 34 provinces.
“This program is part of strengthening the Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem while also opening greater opportunities for local MSMEs to enter the tourism value chain,” she noted.
In addition to strengthening tourist villages and MSMEs, the equitable distribution of tourism’s economic benefits is also encouraged through the organization of various regional events. Through Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) 2026, the Ministry of Tourism is supporting the organization of 125 curated events taking place in various regions across Indonesia.
“The Ministry of Tourism’s work program is not only aimed at increasing tourist visits but also ensuring that tourism becomes a more equitable economic driver. Through coordination between the central and regional governments, strengthening tourist villages, certifying local products, and activating regional events, Indonesian tourism continues to be encouraged to be more inclusive, sustainable, and provide tangible benefits to the community,” Widiyanti concluded. [traveltext.id]
