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THE INDONESIAN and Chinese governments agreed to cooperate in tourism, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement was carried out as part of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang’s working visit to Indonesia from Saturday to Monday (5/24–26) in 2025.
The visit aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, including cooperation in economic, health, and tourism sectors. Regarding the tourism MoU between Indonesia and China, the scope of cooperation includes the following:
(1). Exchanging business contacts and cooperating in the tourism sector
The two countries will encourage the exchange of information and cooperation opportunities between the Ministry of Tourism and tourism business entities to facilitate access to their tourism markets.
(2). Encouraging tourist visits
This MoU aims to encourage visits by citizens and residents of both countries, creating more opportunities for tourists from Indonesia and China to explore destinations in each other’s countries.
(3). Collaborate to attract tourists from a third country
In addition to inviting tourists from the two countries, the two parties agreed to collaborate in attracting tourists from third countries to Indonesia and China, opening more pathways for international tourism promotion.
(4). Establishment of an Official Travel Office
The two countries will facilitate the establishment of a nonprofit official travel office in one of the countries, which will promote tourist destinations more directly and intensely.
(5). Facilitating Tourism Promotion Activities
The parties agreed to comply with the laws and regulations of each country when carrying out these activities. This includes supporting government tourism organizations and businesses that actively promote this sector.
(6). Exchange of Tourism Information and Statistics
Both parties will regularly exchange tourism information and statistics to improve their understanding of each other’s relevant market trends and demand.
(7). Other forms of cooperation
Further cooperation can be established based on written agreements between the two parties to ensure optimal results for the tourism industries of Indonesia and China. China is a strategic partner in developing human resources for the tourism sector. For example, the Chinese government provides Mandarin training to students at several tourism polytechnics under the Ministry of Tourism.
Tourists from China contributed significantly to the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia in 2024. That year, Indonesia received 13.9 million foreign tourist visits, 1.19 million of which were from China, marking a 52% increase compared to 2023.
The growth in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia was also evident in the first quarter of 2025, with 279,040 foreign tourist visits. This represented a 1.15% increase from the same period the previous year, when there were 275,863 visits.
To increase tourism between the two countries, the Chinese government plans to open tourism promotion offices in Indonesia. In turn, this will provide the same opportunity for the Ministry of Tourism to open a promotional representative office in China. This plan will be coordinated further with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [traveltext.id]
