Nataru Holidays Contribute Rp24.46 Trillion to the Creative Economy GDP

JAKARTA - The Directorate of Strategic Management Studies of the Ministry of Creative Economy recorded that the creative economy sector played a significant role in the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) 2025/2026 holiday momentum reaching IDR 24.46 trillion, from a total additional national GDP of IDR 48.56 trillion.

Minister of Trade Teuku Riefky Harsya emphasized that the impact of Nataru is not temporary, but reflects strategic potential that can be managed sustainably.

"These data show that the creative economy is not only driven by the momentum of long holidays, but is able to become the backbone of economic turnover if designed as an integrated annual strategy," said the Minister of Creative Economy in a press statement quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 11.

The Ministry of Craft study shows changes in consumer behavior that increasingly lead to creative products, such as local cuisine, fashion, crafts, as well as entertainment and art experiences.

This shift in interest strengthens the position of the ekraf sub-sector as the main filler of community spending during the holiday period, while also opening up market expansion opportunities for local brands in various regions.

Based on consumer digital footprints through Google Trends, interest in culinary increased sharply on December 28, 2025, while hotel-related searches rebounded on December 31, 2025 at the peak of the celebration.

On December 25-26, 2025, interest in family entertainment, including cinemas, is at its highest point. This pattern shows that ekraf consumption follows the rhythm of holidays and can be mapped to support planning for distribution and promotion of creative products.

The results of the business performance survey also reflect the positive impact on the actors. As many as 76.93 percent of respondents reported an increase in sales, and 73.08 percent recorded an increase in profits during Christmas. The majority of actors are at the micro scale, with the culinary, fashion, and creative subsectors being the largest contributors to the surge in transactions.

In terms of tourist spending, the largest expenditure is still allocated for transportation and accommodation, but spending on creative products such as food, souvenirs, and retail shopping reaches an average of IDR 858 thousand per person.

This figure shows that ekraf products have a large room to continue to be strengthened in the tourism consumption chain and people's holiday activities.

The largest direct contribution to the ekraf GDP during Nataru came from the culinary subsector of IDR 19.9 trillion, followed by IDR 3.9 trillion for fashion, and IDR 0.24 trillion for crafts. This data confirms the importance of strengthening the supply chain, production capacity, and access to financing for actors so that they can respond to the surge in demand optimally.

"If momentum like Nataru is managed systematically through the Ekraf Market and ecosystem integration, the impact will not only boost GDP, but also strengthen the competitiveness of local brands sustainably," concluded Minister of Trade Teuku Riefky.