Indonesia Expects 1.45 Million Foreign Tourists Over Christmas-New Year Holiday
Reporter
December 23, 2025 | 04:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism projects a total of 1.45 million foreign tourists will visit various tourist destinations during the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holiday period in 2026.
"We predict that there will be around 1.45 million foreign tourists during this Nataru period," said Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana during her visit to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
Apart from foreign tourists, 128 million domestic tourists will travel to various tourist destinations during the year-end holiday period. "And for those traveling by plane, it's around 3.4 million people," she said.
According to Widiyanti, based on projections of tourist movements across the country during the Christmas and New Year period, it is predicted that visits will predominantly be to Bali, Surabaya, East Java, Central Java, and Sumatra.
"Bali will still be for domestic visitors, but for those traveling by plane. Just now, I also mentioned some going to Surabaya, Sumatra, and Ujung Pandang. There's a variety of options, but Bali is still a favorite. Also, Yogyakarta is very lively now," she said.
She emphasized that the increased tourist visits must be maximized. The Ministry of Tourism has prepared tour packages and various events as marketing strategies to encourage tourist travel.
According to Widiyanti, the Ministry of Tourism has started implementing various marketing activations such as exhibitions, tourism forums, cooperation with OTA platforms, and regional promotions, including collaboration with HIPPINDO and APPBI associations to hold the Indonesia Great Sale, which started from December 18, 2025, to January 4, 2026.
"In essence, the Ministry of Tourism has made many efforts. We have issued a circular letter to regional governments, associations, and tourism attraction managers to assess the risks and ensure the safety and comfort of tourists, as well as pay attention to weather conditions and their impact on these destinations to ensure the comfort and well-being of tourists," she said.
In addition to promotions, she mentioned that the Ministry of Tourism has developed strategies for attracting tourists by planning 244 events across different regions.
"We also created tourism shopping events with discounts of 18-20 percent throughout December to increase foreign tourist shopping, and we discussed making tax refunds easier at the airport for tour packages during Nataru, and there are around 244 events," she said.
Read: 83% of Indonesian Train Seats Booked for Christmas, New Year Travel
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