Meeting Minister Of Transportation Dudy, Menpar Asks For Support For Opening Of Flight Routes To Priority Destinations

Minister of Tourism Widiyanthi Putri Wardhana (left). (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Tourism)

Minister of Tourism Widiyanthi Putri Wardhana asked for support for the opening of a number of new, domestic and international flight routes to priority and regenerative destinations.

This was conveyed by Widi as he is familiarly called when he met with the Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi at the Ministry of Transportation Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, October 14.

Widi proposed a direct flight route for Yogyakarta Airport to and from a number of cities in China, Korea, Japan, Australia, and India. Then, propose the opening of the Silangit flight route to and from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Other proposed routes are the Lombok-Sidney, Labuan Bajo-Melbourne or Perth, Belitung-Kuala Lumpur, Belitung-Singapore, Manado-Manila, as well as Surabaya-Guangzhou and Shanghai.

"This international flight access is important considering the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia is growing rapidly. However, compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia's position is still not optimal," said Widi in an official statement, Tuesday, October 14.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency, from January to June 2025, the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia was 7.05 million visits.

This number increased by 9.44 percent from visits in the same period in 2024, which was 6.44 million visits.

However, said Widi, this figure is still in the 5th position of ASEAN, behind Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.

"We appreciate the various efforts made by the Ministry of Transportation in supporting national tourism, especially in terms of expanding international airport access that have been carried out. Hopefully, this can strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian tourist destinations," he said.

Widi also asked for the support of the Ministry of Transportation in terms of accelerating the development of marine tourism in Indonesia.

The support needed is in terms of licensing for tourism sea transportation and increasing standards, procedures and supervision of sea transportation safety.

Sementara itu, Menteri Perhubungan Dudy Purwagandhi mengatakan Kementerian Perhubungan terus memberikan dukungan melalui peningkatan konektivitas dan aksesibilitas transportasi untuk menunjang daerah destinasi pariwisata nasional.

“Kementerian Perhubungan mendukung penuh pengembangan sektor pariwisata melalui peningkatan konektivitas dan infrastruktur transportasi. Kami akan terus memperkuat akses ke destinasi wisata agar perjalanan wisatawan lebih mudah, aman, dan nyaman,” ujar Dudy.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said the Ministry of Transportation continues to provide support through increased connectivity and transportation accessibility to support national tourism destination areas.

"The Ministry of Transportation fully supports the development of the tourism sector through increased connectivity and transportation infrastructure. We will continue to strengthen access to tourist destinations so that tourist travel is easier, safer, and more comfortable," said Dudy.