Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism rolled out a suite of new tourism programs at the recently concluded ASEAN Tourism Forum in Malaysia. These include:
- Clean tourism movement.
- Tourism 5.0 digitalization initiative.
- Development of special-interest attractions.
Ni Made Ayu Marthini, the Deputy for Marketing, emphasized that the ASEAN Tourism Forum provides an excellent platform for presenting new initiatives essential for the growth of the tourism sector.
Marthini also reported that Indonesia saw 4,303,773 arrivals from Southeast Asian countries over the past year, indicating significant potential for future growth in the ASEAN market.
“This ASEAN market still has great potential for optimization.”
To attract more tourists, particularly from Malaysia, the Ministry is enhancing cooperation with the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru, the Johor State Government, and the Riau Islands Provincial Government. This collaboration aims to strengthen connectivity and cross-regional tourism promotion between the two nations.
Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto, the consul-general, outlined their strategy for special border treatment, applicable to Malaysians traveling to the Riau Islands and vice versa. He noted:
“Regarding the plan for special border treatment, the Riau Islands Province Regional Tourism Promotion Agency and Tourism Johor are currently in the technical implementation discussion stage with tourism business actors in their respective regions.”
