"This MoU will open more opportunities for us to introduce our tourist destinations to the vast Chinese market, and vice versa," Indonesian Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said in a statement on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
The MoU signing was a key event during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's working visit to Indonesia, which spanned from Saturday, May 24, to Monday, May 26.
The comprehensive scope of cooperation detailed in the tourism MoU aims to significantly boost mutual visits and industry growth.
This includes a commitment to exchanging vital information and opportunities between tourism ministries and businesses, making it easier to access each other's markets.
The two countries also plan to collaborate on attracting tourists from third countries, leveraging combined international promotional efforts.
A key development is the provision for establishing official non-profit travel agencies from one country in the other, promising more direct and intensive promotion.
To stay abreast of market dynamics, there will be an irregular exchange of tourism information and statistics, enhancing mutual understanding of trends.
The MoU also leaves room for other mutually agreed-upon areas of cooperation, ensuring maximum benefits for both tourism industries.
According to Wardhana, China is considered one of Indonesia's strategic partners for human resource development in the tourism sector.
This includes the provision of Mandarin language training by the Chinese Government to students at several Tourism Polytechnics under the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.
Chinese tourists have already contributed significantly to the number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia.
In 2024, out of the total 13.9 million foreign tourist visits, Chinese tourists accounted for 1.19 million visits, marking a 52 percent increase compared to 2023.
This growth trend continued into the first quarter of 2025, with 279,040 foreign tourist visits, representing a 1.15 percent increase over the 275,863 visits recorded in the same period last year.
To further boost tourist visits from both countries, the Chinese government plans to open a representative office for its tourism promotion in Indonesia.
Reciprocally, this will provide the same opportunity for the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism to establish its promotional office in China.
"This MoU is expected to bolster bilateral relations and significantly increase the tourism sector's contribution to the economies of both countries," Wardhana remarked.
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Translator: Farhan Arda N, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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