JAKARTA - School holidays are often used by families to find tourist destinations that are not only fun, but also educational for children.
In the midst of the increasingly diverse family vacation trend, aquarium tourism is now beginning to become one of the favorite choices because it offers an interactive experience of seeing underwater life without having to go far out to sea.
In addition to providing entertainment, aquarium tourism is also considered suitable for children because it can introduce various types of marine life while providing a fun learning experience during the holidays.
The Ministry of Tourism has also encouraged aquarium tourism as one of the recommended destinations to fill the school holidays this year.
"Marine tourism is one of the tourism that is currently being vigorously promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, apart from gastronomic tourism, wellness, textiles and others," said Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism Ni Made Ayu Marthini to ANTARA in Jakarta, Thursday, May 21.
According to Made, the promotion of marine tourism including aquarium tourism has been carried out in the BBWI Travel Fair x BINA Cerita Liburan Sekolah 2026 event which took place at Tunjungan Plaza Surabaya on May 15-17, 2026.
During the activity, a number of marine attractions were also introduced to the public, including the Jakarta Aquarium and Banyuwangi Diving School, which are said to have attracted a lot of visitors.
The Ministry of Tourism also continues to expand access to tourism information through digital technology. Since November 2025, the Ministry of Tourism has introduced an AI capability feature called "MaiA" on the official Indonesia.travel website to help tourists find information about destinations and tourist attractions, including aquarium and marine tourism.
Previously, the Klook travel platform also revealed that aquarium tours were one of the most sought-after experiences for foreign tourists when visiting Indonesia.
In addition to visiting the aquarium, tourists are also interested in trying experiences such as yacht tours, catamarans, fitness tours, to outdoor activities such as cycling and paragliding.
"Indonesia has an incredible and diverse experience, and there is a meaning to this (various experiences)," said Klook's General Manager for Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, Sarah Wan.
According to Klook's internal data, tourists' interest in experience-based attractions continues to grow. Not only popular destinations, tourists are now also starting to be interested in exploring new areas outside of the main tourist cities.
Several destinations that are said to be increasingly popular include Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Gili and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, to Mount Bromo in East Java.
Sarah assessed that this trend is an important momentum to strengthen the promotion of Indonesian tourism as well as increase access to more practical and integrated tourism for tourists.
In the midst of increasing demand for comfortable and educational family vacations, aquarium tourism is also considered an interesting alternative to fill the school holidays, especially for families who want to enjoy a recreational experience while learning about the ocean.
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