Airlangga Reveals Many Malaysian Tourists Try Whoosh and Shop in Bandung

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto (Aris Nurjani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that the number of tourists from Malaysia visiting Indonesia was quite high during the year-end holidays.

According to him, most of the tourists are interested in trying the Whoosh fast train service and shopping in Bandung.

"We know that some of the high countries are Malaysia coming to Indonesia. All of them, besides coming to Indonesia, try Whoosh, also shopping in Bandung at the factory outlet," said Airlangga during a visit to prepare the Work From Anywhere (WFA) program and the Shopping in Indonesia Only (BINA) Program Great Sale 2025 at Pondok Indah Mall, Friday, December 26.

Airlangga emphasized the importance of encouraging foreign tourists not only to visit, but also to contribute to domestic consumption.

According to him, the Buy in Indonesia Aja (BINA) program can be an additional attraction for tourists to shop while in Indonesia.

Therefore, Airlangga hopes that in the future, foreign tourists' visits will be of higher quality, with higher spending while in Indonesia.

"So that's the kind of tourism we are pushing. So the quality of tourism will increase," he said.

Previously, the Whoosh Fast Train service was not only an Indonesian people's choice, but was also increasingly sought after by foreign tourists, especially from Malaysia. Since it began operating, Whoosh has served more than 528 thousand foreign tourists, of which 225 thousand are from Malaysia.

Azam, a tourist who came with his family, said he knew Whoosh from social media posts. According to him, the service and comfort offered by Whoosh provide a different experience.

"I was really impressed, because it was very fast. The speed was up to 350 km/h, so the trip from Jakarta to Bandung took less than 30 minutes. The seats are comfortable, the service is good, and the travel experience is very comfortable," said Azam.

Meanwhile, R. Sivaraja, another Malaysian tourist, assessed the timeliness of Whoosh as a unique attraction. He chose to travel to Bandung because it is famous for its cool weather and attractive natural beauty.

"The Whoosh service is very good and on time. That's what I really like. If you can maintain this standard, Whoosh will definitely be proud," he said.

KCIC Corporate Secretary General Eva Chairunisa expressed her appreciation for the increasing enthusiasm of foreign tourists from time to time.

Since the end of August 2025, on average every day about 750 Malaysian tourists use Whoosh to travel to Bandung, especially during long holidays. Tourists from Malaysia choose Whoosh as their favorite mode of transportation to Bandung for various reasons.

"International tourists see Whoosh not only as a means of transportation, but also as part of the tourist experience in Indonesia. KCIC will continue to improve the quality of services so that all passengers, both domestic and foreign, feel safe, fast, comfortable, and memorable journeys," concluded Eva.