"Empirically and historically, these are the 15 markets that contribute most to foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia," said Assistant Deputy for Tourism Marketing Strategy and Communication at the ministry, Firnandi Gufron, during a press conference here on Tuesday.
The 15 countries are Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. These were selected for their own specific reasons.
He gave an example that the Malaysian market, which contributes high tourist arrivals to Indonesia, is easier to develop because strategies can leverage geographical proximity and focus on quality enhancement.
Tourists from Malaysia are fond of art, culinary delights, city life, cultural and religious heritage, and rural areas.
Similarly, Singapore also contributes high numbers of arrivals but with a short length of stay. Targeting tourists from Singapore can open opportunities for wellness tourism and luxury retreats.
As for markets like India and Russia, he noted that the arrivals of tourists from those countries are experiencing good growth, which must be leveraged maximally.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Tourism, arrivals of foreign tourists from Malaysia reached 2,182,626 in the January-October 2025 period, showing a growth of 15.91 percent compared to last year.
Meanwhile, arrivals of tourists from Singapore totaled 1,197,222 this year, growing by 7.66 percent from 2024.
During the same period, arrivals of tourists from India reached 603,654, an increase of 3.25 percent from 2024. Furthermore, arrivals of tourists from Russia stood at 178,434, marking a significant growth of 29.94 percent from last year.
The strategy being implemented by the Ministry of Tourism is expected to increase the spending of foreign tourists and extend their length of stay in Indonesia.
As for domestic tourists, the ministry will follow the trends of people's interests, such as culinary delights, shopping experiences, cities and rural areas, marine tourism, and adventure tourism.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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