Menpar Widiyanti Accompanied Brigitte Macron Enjoying The Beauty Of Borobudur Temple

Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana accompanied the wife of French President Brigitte Macron to enjoy the beauty of Borobudur Temple Destinations in Magelang, Central Java/ Photo: ANTARA

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana accompanied the wife of French President Brigitte Macron in the Spouse Program to enjoy the beauty of the Borobudur Temple destination in Magelang, Central Java.

"I am very honored to be able to accompany First Lady Brigitte Macron in this event. This is an extraordinary opportunity to show the world the beauty and richness of Indonesian culture," said Widiyanti in an official statement in Jakarta, Friday.

During a visit to Borobudur on Thursday (29/5), Widiyanti emphasized that the visit could be a good time to promote tourist destinations in Indonesia and strengthen relations between countries that respect each other's diversity and culture.

Minister Widiyanti accompanied Macron to visit the Manohara Resort, which is located in the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park area which is the location for the Indonesian cultural and religious exhibition visited by the French delegation.

In addition to activities in Manohara, President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron and the French delegation also visited Borobudur Temple which covers an area of about 123 square meters and towers through nine levels into the sky. This visit shows appreciation for Indonesia's cultural heritage which has been recognized internationally.

Previously, Widiyanti explained that Indonesia and France had close bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector. On this occasion, the Ministry of Tourism updated the collaboration through the signing of several initiatives at the Joint Vision 2050.

The collaboration includes strengthening the tourism sector, developing internationally standardized human resources, and increasing connectivity to encourage the exchange of tourists.

The two countries also agreed to increase collaboration in the gastronomi sector and cultural heritage and further develop joint promotions through gastronomi campaigns and introduce traditional Indonesian wastra in the international market, especially through the Indonesian Gastronomi Week which is planned to be held in France.

This collaboration also emphasizes the position of culture as a strategic force in geopolitical and global economic.

This year, the Ministry of Tourism hopes to open up more opportunities for sustainable tourism development and introduce Indonesia's cultural wealth in the international world.

"Through this cultural collaboration, Indonesia can strengthen its position as a leading tourist destination based on cultural diversity and natural beauty," he said.

It is known that in 2024 French tourists to Indonesia recorded 346,337 visitors, and in Q1 alone 48,442 visitors entered Indonesia.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency in 2023, French tourists stayed overnight for 16.85 nights. with an average expenditure per arrival of 1,900 US dollars according to BPS in 2024.

The popular tours for French tourists in Indonesia are Bahari tourism, arts, culture, nature, culinary, wine, history, especially in beautiful cities and historical sites.