JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism (Menpar) Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said that the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in March 2026 showed the highest growth in Southeast Asia.
The Minister of Tourism on the sidelines of the opening of the Bali & Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) 2026 conveyed this in response to the position of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia, which is ranked fifth in Southeast Asia, below Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.
"For March last year, Indonesia's visits increased the most compared to Thailand and Malaysia, so number one is the growth," he said in Badung Regency, quoted by Antara, Friday, May 29.
Although in terms of numbers, the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in March 2026 (year-on-year) is still below the four countries or 1.09 million while other countries have penetrated 2 million. However, the growth of foreign tourist visits in Indonesia in that month reached 10.50 percent, while in the other four countries it grew 2-10 percent.
"Actually we can't just look at the number of arrivals now, but to answer, yes Indonesia is number five after Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore," said Widiyanti.
The high growth in March 2026 gives hope for Indonesian tourism to pursue the number of visits so that the quantity is not far behind, and for that a proper strategy is needed.
In the midst of global dynamics due to the war in the Middle East, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti took steps by changing the origin of the target of foreign tourist visits, from the previous focus on attracting European and Middle Eastern tourists to now switching to Asia.
"Of course because there is an impact on flight closures and also the increase in fuel costs, of course we turn to nearby areas such as Southeast Asia, East Asia, Oceania and India, we intensify the promotion so that we also enjoy growth from these tourists, during the last months. they have increased sharply from these countries (Southeast Asia)," he said.
Not stopping there, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Widiyanti ensured that the government would continue to work hard, such as through the opening of new routes in cooperation with airlines.
"We are also working with the Ministry of Transportation, and across ministries/institutions to find ways to provide incentives to reduce ticket prices," he continued.
The Ministry of Tourism also hopes that the BBTF 2026 travel and tourism exhibition will help explore the potential for greater visits through cooperation with international travel players.
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