Indonesia left the pandemic’s travel restrictions behind in 2025 and continued its robust rebound, driven by rising international arrivals, strengthened domestic travel and a strategic shift towards diversified destination promotion. With strong growth in key markets, a focus on sustainable travel and fresh product development, Indonesia closed out the year with confidence and optimism for 2026.
In this end-of-year article, we revisit some of the major developments from Indonesia’s tourism sector 2025, and look ahead to the New Year.
International Arrivals Climb Throughout the Year
Foreign visitor numbers to Indonesia grew consistently in 2025. By October, Indonesia had welcomed around 12.76 million international tourists, up more than 10% on the same period in 2024, with projections pointing towards more than 15 million arrivals by year end. This marked a continuation of growth that had already seen foreign visits rise year-on-year since early in the year, including strong monthly figures such as 1.51 million arrivals in August and 1.33 million in October.
Key source markets driving this growth included Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan and South Korea, with notable year-on-year gains from many of these countries. The steady influx of international travellers helped strengthen Indonesia’s profile as a competitive regional destination.
Strategic Initiatives and Campaigns
Throughout the year the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy rolled out campaigns aimed at sustaining momentum. Priority efforts included the “Liburan di Indonesia Aja” initiative, encouraging Indonesians to explore domestic destinations during the year-end holiday season.
In late 2025 the government also published the Indonesia Tourism Outlook 2025/2026, a strategic document outlining national direction, market priorities, emerging trends and sustainability goals to guide policy and industry players through the next two years.
National strategy focused on diversifying markets and encouraging longer stays and higher spend per visitor, with 15 priority source countries identified for the 2025–26 period, including traditional markets such as Malaysia and Singapore as well as emerging markets such as Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Highlights and Tourism Achievements
Beyond the statistics, Indonesia’s tourism sector gained international recognition in 2025 with numerous accolades for destinations, hotel products and culinary experiences across the archipelago. Reports noted that Indonesian attractions and hospitality businesses received over 150 global awards, reinforcing the country’s appeal on the world stage.
Iconic cultural festivals and events also contributed to the narrative of Indonesia as an experiential destination, giving visitors a deeper connection to local traditions and communities.
Challenges and Sustainable Growth Priorities
Despite the positive figures, industry leaders remained mindful of challenges. Visitor volumes in popular locations such as Bali continued to raise concerns about overtourism and environmental pressure, with authorities considering implementing measures at protected sites like Komodo National Park in early 2026 to limit daily visitor numbers for conservation purposes.
Infrastructure bottlenecks and environmental protection were also part of the broader discussion about future growth, with policymakers balancing economic benefit with sustainable destination management.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Indonesia enters 2026 in good shape. With strong market fundamentals, evolving product development and growth-oriented policy frameworks, the tourism industry is ready to capitalise on booming global travel demand.
Key priorities for the year ahead include:
- further expanding international market reach and connectivity
- enhancing visitor experience quality and length of stay
- embedding sustainability and community empowerment in tourism development
- supporting emerging destinations outside traditional hubs
With these foundations, Indonesia is positioned not only to meet its international arrival targets but to strengthen its reputation as a vibrant, diverse and resilient tourism destination.
