Indonesia Shifts Tourism Focus to Asia, Oceania Amid Middle East Concerns
Jakarta – Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism is proactively adjusting its marketing strategies to bolster tourism from Asia and Oceania, responding to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The move aims to maintain the country’s tourism growth momentum despite potential disruptions to travel from the Middle East region.
Monitoring Global Dynamics and Ensuring Tourist Safety
The Ministry of Tourism is closely monitoring the conflict in the Middle East and broader global dynamics to ensure the safety of tourists visiting Indonesia. Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana emphasized the sector’s sensitivity to international events, noting that instability can create uncertainty for travelers and the global tourism industry .
Strategic Shift to Asian and Oceanian Markets
To mitigate potential risks, the Ministry is intensifying promotional efforts in countries with stable travel access, specifically targeting East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. This includes bolstering digital campaigns, increasing cross-border activities and events, and encouraging domestic tourism .
Positive Tourism Trends at the Start of 2026
Despite global uncertainties, Indonesia’s tourism sector demonstrated positive trends in January 2026. Foreign tourist arrivals through main gateways reached 1.01 million. Malaysia led as the primary source market with 150,500 arrivals, followed by Australia, China, Singapore, and India .
Domestic Tourism and Outbound Travel
Domestic tourist trips in January 2026 totaled 102.04 million, a slight decrease of 0.93% compared to the same period last year. This dip is attributed to the timing between the Christmas/New Year holidays and the upcoming Lunar New Year and Eid al-Fitr celebrations. The government remains optimistic about achieving its target of 1.18 billion domestic tourist trips in 2026 through promotional programs and improved destination readiness .
Outbound travel by Indonesian citizens as well increased by 1.65% in early 2026, reaching approximately 1 million trips. Popular destinations included Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, accounting for 58.58% of total outbound trips. Malaysia and Singapore remain favored due to their proximity and accessibility, while Saudi Arabia primarily attracts travelers for Umrah pilgrimages .
Expanding Ties with the Middle East
Concurrently, Indonesia is actively working to strengthen ties with Middle Eastern nations to attract more visitors. Strategies include expanding flight routes, improving halal and prayer facilities, and providing Arabic language training for tourism workers . The country aims to attract 249,000 arrivals from the Middle East in 2025, a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year . Middle Eastern tourist numbers reached 224,000 in the previous year, representing a 24 percent increase .