Komdigi Ready to Regulate OTA Platforms that are Not Licensed, Directly Block Access

(center) Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Meutya Hafid (photo: dok. Komdigi)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Digital is ready to regulate Online Travel Agent (OTA) platforms that have not been licensed to ensure the safety of tourists, protect regional revenues, and create fair business competition.

Communication and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said this step would be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, after it was found that many accommodations were marketed online without official permission.

Thus, through this action, Meutya emphasized that the protection of tourists and the interests of the local community are the main priorities of the government.

"Our focus is to protect the interests of the community and the region. Don't let the local government and local residents who should benefit from taxes for development, but because they are not registered, the benefits actually run to other countries," said Meutya, quoted Wednesday, February 25.

He said, for OTA that have not registered as Electronic System Operators (PSE), Komdigi will immediately disconnect access to the service.

"Meanwhile, for those who have been registered but still market illegal accommodations that do not comply with tourism rules, we are waiting for the recommendation of sanctions from the Ministry of Tourism," he said.

Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana explained the results of supervision in five key provinces, namely Bali, West Java, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and NTB, which found that 72.8 percent of the supervised accommodations did not have a Business Registration Number (NIB).

"This condition creates unhealthy business competition for hotels and inns that pay taxes because these villas can be cheaper. They do not pay taxes so we lose state and regional revenues," explained Minister of Tourism Widiyanti.

The Ministry of Tourism also gave a deadline of March 31, 2026 for all OTA platforms to regulate unlicensed accommodations on their platforms.