“We are optimistic this initiative will boost international arrivals to Indonesia while strengthening regional tourism industry ties,” said Ni Made Ayu Marthini, deputy for marketing at the ministry.
According to the ministry's press statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday, the event brought together 24 Indonesian tourism representatives with 32 buyers from Malaysia and 23 from Singapore.
It served not only as a promotional platform but also as a forum for concrete collaboration between industry players.
Johor Bahru’s strategic location—close to Indonesia and serving as a gateway between Malaysia and Singapore—makes it a key target for Indonesian tourism promotion.
The ministry aims to strengthen business networks, showcase top destinations and products, and maintain Indonesia’s competitiveness in Southeast Asia.
In 2024, about 2.2 million Malaysian and 1.4 million Singaporean tourists visited Indonesia.
With strong connectivity and a large market potential, the ministry expects the event to foster partnerships and drive further growth in visitor numbers.
“We hope this forum provides a tangible space for industry players to explore new business collaborations. Such synergy is expected to spark innovation in travel products and packages that appeal to Malaysian and Singaporean travelers,” Made added.
Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto, Indonesia’s consul general in Johor Bahru, highlighted that tourism cooperation is a key component of the “Jiran Istimewa” (Special Neighbor) program, which promotes social, economic, and cultural ties between Indonesia and Malaysia.
“This event reflects the spirit of Jiran Istimewa, strengthening cross-border connectivity and people-to-people links through the tourism sector,” Sigit said.
By combining promotion, networking, and collaboration, the ministry aims to solidify Indonesia’s presence in two of its most important regional markets.
ANTARA noted that tourists from Malaysia and Singapore are key for the tourism sector in several Indonesian regions.
The West Nusa Tenggara provincial government, together with the Regional Tourism Promotion Agency (BPPD), for instance, is targeting these two ASEAN countries, along with Australia, as main markets to boost visitor numbers.
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Translator: HD Shanti, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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