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THE MINISTRY of Tourism welcomed SalamAir’s inaugural flight from Muscat to Medan, which is expected to strengthen Indonesia’s connectivity with Oman and open wider access for Middle Eastern tourists to North Sumatra, including Lake Toba, a priority tourism destination.
The Omani airline’s inaugural flight took place on Saturday (07/4), 2026, departing from Muscat and landing at Kualanamu International Airport, North Sumatra.
Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana stated that the direct Muscat–Medan route represents an important opportunity to strengthen international connectivity and expand opportunities for Middle Eastern tourists to explore Indonesia’s diverse tourism destinations.
“We welcome SalamAir’s inaugural flight from Muscat to Medan. This direct route not only strengthens Indonesia’s connectivity with Oman but also opens up greater opportunities for Middle Eastern tourists to explore Indonesian tourism destinations, particularly North Sumatra, with Lake Toba as a priority destination,” said Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana in a statement on Saturday (07/4), 2026.
According to Widiyanti, SalamAir’s presence is a positive signal for strengthening the international tourist market, particularly from the Middle East. The Muscat-Medan route is considered strategic because Muscat serves as a hub connecting Indonesia with several cities in the Gulf region and the Middle East.
This connectivity is expected to expand the reach of Indonesian tourism promotions to tourists from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and various other potential markets in the region.
Meanwhile, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism, explained that the Middle East market is a crucial market for Indonesian tourism, particularly in the family tourism, Muslim-friendly tourism, luxury travel, wellness, nature-based tourism, and special interest travel segments.
Tourists from the Middle East are also known to be interested in natural destinations, shopping activities, culinary delights, and quality accommodation services.
“The opening of this route aligns with the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts to strengthen accessibility, improve the quality of tourist visits, and promote equitable distribution of visits to destinations beyond Bali. North Sumatra has great potential to be developed as a gateway for Middle Eastern tourists, whether for leisure trips, family trips, or for onward connectivity to other destinations in Indonesia,” said Ni Made Ayu Marthini.
In addition to strengthening the flow of international tourist visits to Indonesia, this direct route is expected to provide added value for the community and tourism industry players in North Sumatra, including hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, MSMEs, creative economy players, and destination managers.
The Ministry of Tourism is encouraging the availability of this new route to be optimized by developing tour packages relevant to the characteristics of Middle Eastern tourists, improving service readiness and quality, and strengthening promotional collaborations with airlines, local governments, and the tourism industry.
“Going forward, the Ministry of Tourism will continue to strengthen cooperation with airlines, industry players, and international strategic partners to improve air connectivity to Indonesia,” concluded Ni Made Ayu Marthini.
This effort, he said, is part of a strategy to expand the international tourist market, increase tourist length of stay and spending, and strengthen the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy. [traveltext.id]
