Tourism officials from Indonesia used the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 in Malaysia to showcase a series of innovative tourism strategies and new initiatives which aim to boost regional tourism in the archipelago this year.
Held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, from 15-20 January 2025, ATF 2025 was centred around the following theme: “Unity in Motion: Shaping ASEAN’s Tourism Tomorrow.” Integral to this process of regional development is responsible tourism with an emphasis on sustainability. It was these themes that the ministry set out expand upon at the event.
“Indonesia’s involvement in ATF 2025 is an effort to enhance cooperation with ASEAN members and partner countries to promote high-quality tourism,” said Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, in an official statement. “For Indonesia, this forum is a strategic opportunity to enhance our role in the global tourism arena, showcase our natural and cultural heritage and foster beneficial regional cooperation,” she continued.
Indonesia’s Deputy for Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, also commented on the growing potential of the ASEAN market, which brought over 4.3 million visitors to Indonesia in 2024. During ATF 2025, the Ministry of Tourism introduced key programmes that can help to explore this potential, while also delivering its sustainability commitments in the months ahead. This includes the clean tourism movement, tourism digitalisation under the Tourism 5.0 framework, and the development of special interest attractions.
The Indonesian delegation at ATF 2025 was based out of the Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion, which successfully recorded business transactions worth approximately US$2.5 million on the second day of the forum. By building new partnerships with regional neighbours and promoting a new range of products that emphasise responsible, sustainable tourism experiences, Indonesia is working to make 2025 a positive year for people and planet.
