Minister of Tourism Discusses Sustainable Tourism at the UN Tourism Executive Council
JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana discussed issues regarding the development of an adaptive, resilient, and sustainable tourism sector through active participation in the 126th Session of the UN Tourism Executive Council which took place on June 10-11, 2026 in Toledo, Spain.
"Global challenges, ranging from geopolitical conflicts, world economic uncertainties, environmental crises, to rapid technological developments, have affected the behavior of tourists and the dynamics of the tourism industry in various countries," said Widiyanti in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta, Saturday.
Widiyanti assessed that this condition encourages the tourism sector to continue to adapt and strengthen its orientation on the principles of sustainability and resilience.
Therefore, he conveyed his readiness to support the optimization of programs and activities that provide tangible benefits to member countries, especially in the Asia Pacific region.
In the third priority regarding capacity building, Indonesia is said to encourage the UN Tourism Academy to specifically address the digital and green skills gap in developing countries in Asia, with attention to youth, women, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
"This effort is very important for the development of small-scale destinations in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.
Indonesia also supports and contributes to the preparation of the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism (IYSRT) 2027 which focuses on strengthening the resilience of the tourism sector, human resource development, and digital transformation in line with the direction of national tourism development.
Widiyanti also expressed support for the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism program, because it has succeeded in creating local economic opportunities, where five villages in Indonesia have received the award and more than 6,200 other villages have contributed to sustainable development.
As a signatory to the Glasgow Declaration, Indonesia is also committed to climate action through the launch of the Tourism Decarbonization Roadmap and supporting the food waste reduction initiative (Recipe of Change). In the field of technology, the vision of Tourism 5.0 is realized through digital innovations such as MaiA, an AI-based travel assistant launched in 2025 to improve the traveler experience.
Indonesia also focuses on human resource investment through national competency standardization and cooperation with the UN Tourism Online Academy to build a workforce that is ready for the future.
Widiyanti then continued her meeting with the Bulgarian Minister of Tourism on Wednesday (10/6) to discuss various cooperation opportunities that can be developed in the future, including educational cooperation in the field of hospitality, the potential for signing bilateral cooperation agreements, and exchange of experiences (best-practice) and expertise in the field of education.
This was followed by a meeting with the Minister of Tourism of Montenegro who discussed the opportunity for cooperation in human resources in the tourism sector. The Minister of Tourism of Montenegro invited Widiyanti to attend the Inter-regional High-Level Forum of Europe and Asia, which aims to increase dialogue and policies to encourage tourism visits between Europe and Asia, as well as opportunities for cooperation in tourism labor.
On Thursday (11/6), a bilateral meeting was held with the Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia to discuss the implementation of ongoing cooperation under the memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
The cooperation includes market promotion for tourism, increasing tourist mobility, and exploring new mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities.