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INJOURNEY and Garuda Indonesia are collaborating on a free domestic flight (FDF) program, providing 170,845 domestic flight seats for international tourists holding Garuda Indonesia round-trip tickets.
According to InJourney’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary, Yudhistira Setiawan, said this demonstrates the government’s commitment to encouraging foreign tourist visits beyond Bali and Jakarta.
“By strengthening domestic flight connectivity, tourists are expected to continue their journeys to more destinations, stay longer, and spend more money in their destinations,” Yudhistira said at a collaboration event between Garuda Indonesia and InJourney to improve inbound connectivity in Jakarta on Tuesday (08/11), 2026.
Yudhistira stated that tourism success is not solely measured by the number of tourist arrivals, but also by other indicators such as length of stay, destination visits, and spending while in Indonesia. Based on the data, he continued, the average expenditure of foreign tourists in the second quarter of 2026 reached around US$1,285, with an average length of stay of around 10 nights.
“This means that the longer tourists stay and the more destinations they visit, the greater the potential economic value created,” said Yudhistira.
Therefore, Yudhistira explained that the free domestic flight program is not simply about providing an additional ticket at no cost, but rather about building longer trips with broader tourism and shopping activities. In this collaboration, he continued, Yogyakarta, Central Java, and Lombok are areas receiving attention for strengthening connectivity.
“Yogyakarta and Central Java have strong destinations and various international agendas. Meanwhile, Lombok has another strength through Mandalika,” said Yudhistira.
Meanwhile, Prina Eka Putri, Marketing Group Head of Garuda Indonesia, said the Free Flight Program was designed to encourage foreign tourists to not just stop at one destination. For Garuda Indonesia, Prina said, the 170,845-seat program also has symbolic significance because it was launched to coincide with Indonesia’s Independence Day.
“This program aims to change travel patterns, from simply arriving to discovering more of Indonesia,” Prina said. She explained that the program will run from August to the end of November 2026.
The primary target is international tourists traveling round-trip using Garuda Indonesia. According to Prina, the program is not solely aimed at increasing Garuda’s passenger numbers on international routes.
“The movement of tourists to domestic destinations is expected to create a ripple effect on hotels, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), shopping centers, transportation, and other economic sectors. The impact we hope for is not only for Garuda, but also for Indonesia as a whole,” Prina concluded. [sources/photo special]
