JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Tourism (Wamenpar) Ni Luh Puspa emphasized that women have a strategic role in advancing the Indonesian tourism ecosystem. Women's contributions are considered one of the important foundations in improving the competitiveness of the tourism sector globally.
"There is still a perception that women are only a complement. In fact, without women, the tourism ecosystem will not move," said Ni Luh in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta, Tuesday (28/7/2026).
In the Women's Leadership Forum 2026 in Jakarta, Monday (27/7/2026), Ni Luh said that women currently dominate the workforce in the tourism sector. They play a role as drivers of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cultural guardians, to community leaders who also strengthen the competitiveness of tourist destinations.
The role of women is also visible in various fields, ranging from village tourism managers, homestay owners, culinary and creative micro, small and medium enterprises, weavers, artisans, tour guides, to art and tradition preservation which are the identity of various destinations in Indonesia.
According to Ni Luh, this contribution has become an important part of building an inclusive, sustainable, and competitive Indonesian tourism.
He said that the tourism sector is one of the most inclusive economic sectors because more than half of its workforce are women. However, the contribution of women is still faced with a number of challenges that need to be a common concern.
One of the problems that still needs to be addressed is that women have not yet had equal opportunities to occupy leadership positions and earn equal income in various subsectors of tourism.
Ni Luh gave an example, in the hospitality industry, women still occupy many positions, such as marketing. Meanwhile, the opportunity to occupy the position of the main leadership is considered not to be open evenly.
Therefore, he assessed that affirmative steps were needed to open wider access for women to be able to occupy strategic positions in the tourism sector.
"Support for women must be realized through policies and concrete actions that provide equal opportunities in leadership," he said.
Ni Luh also conveyed that the Ministry of Tourism showed a real commitment in promoting gender equality. Currently, the post of Minister of Tourism and Deputy Minister of Tourism are both held by women.
According to him, leadership in the tourism sector not only requires the ability to make decisions, but also the ability to build collaboration, orchestrate various stakeholders, and become a catalyst for the advancement of national tourism.
"We are there to uphold collaboration. The tourism leader is a leader who becomes a collaborator, orchestrator, and also a catalyst," said Ni Luh.
He also invited all women to continue to support each other, strengthen the leadership network, and open more space for women to contribute to the development of Indonesian tourism.
"Giving women access and giving women confidence is not just about making a woman a leader. More than that, we are creating the future, opening opportunities, and giving birth to better generations," he concluded.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
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