Indonesia boosts tourism through village cooperatives, international diplomacy, and data-driven strategies under Minister Wardhana’s leadership for sustainable sector growth.
Indonesia is deepening its commitment to community-based tourism development through a landmark initiative between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Cooperatives. On May 9, 2025, Ministers Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and Budi Arie Setiadi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Yogyakarta to form and strengthen Merah Putih Village Cooperatives—a structured effort to empower rural tourism destinations. This initiative, a continuation of coordination efforts launched earlier in the year, aims to professionalize local tourism operations and support over 6,000 tourism villages nationwide. Minister Wardhana emphasized that this grassroots-focused strategy will begin with a pilot project involving 17 award-winning tourism villages and eventually include hundreds more that have demonstrated readiness through the Tourism Awareness Campaign. Minister Budi Arie highlighted the broader socio-economic benefits of the cooperative model, which will not only improve tourism governance but also connect it with other local sectors, such as agriculture and livestock. The program is designed to enable legal recognition, funding access, training, and market integration—ensuring that village-based tourism becomes a sustainable pillar of Indonesia’s rural economy.
Indonesia is also strengthening its position as a regional tourism leader through a series of high-level diplomatic engagements and strategic collaborations under the direction of Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana. Her recent participation in the 37th Joint Session of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia, held in Jakarta, reflects the country’s proactive stance in shaping the future of sustainable tourism.
During the UN Tourism gathering, Minister Wardhana held bilateral meetings with key global stakeholders to explore potential cooperation in tourism development. Notably, she met with UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, and representatives from countries including the Philippines, Tunisia, Iran, Mexico, and the Maldives. These discussions focused on tourism recovery strategies, cross-border collaboration, and shared challenges in the Asia-Pacific and South Asia regions.
“Since the global tourism landscape is becoming more dynamic and competitive, it is vital that we build awareness of the importance of collaborating with international partners to navigate uncertainty and seize greater opportunities,” Minister Wardhana stated. She further underscored Indonesia’s commitment to fostering partnerships that support digital transformation, human capital development, and the creation of high-quality tourism experiences.
A key element of these efforts is Indonesia’s emphasis on developing niche tourism segments such as gastronomic tourism, wellness travel, and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions). Minister Wardhana also reiterated her ministry’s priority on expanding the tourism village program, aiming to empower local communities and diversify Indonesia’s tourism offerings across its archipelago.
Parallel to her diplomatic outreach, Minister Wardhana is also spearheading domestic initiatives to strengthen the foundation of tourism development. One of the most critical moves has been the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Central Statistics Agency of Indonesia (BPS). This agreement marks a milestone in institutional cooperation aimed at fostering evidence-based policymaking in the tourism sector.
“The collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and BPS is very strategic in ensuring the availability of reliable data and as a basis for policy formulation,” the minister told the press. “With a data-driven approach, we can ensure that this sector not only thrives but also provides broader benefits to society and the national economy.”
Minister Wardhana also expressed optimism on social media, stating, “With stronger and more accurate data, we can design more effective strategies to improve national tourism competitiveness and drive economic governance across different destinations.”
BPS Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti confirmed that her agency would supply tourism-related data, including performance indicators and statistics on tourist attractions nationwide. “We actually have a census of each tourist attraction,” she said. “This collaboration will be very good, because the Ministry of Tourism has the most complete knowledge of our tourism assets.”
This dual-track strategy—international diplomacy and domestic institutional reinforcement—comes at a pivotal time. Bali alone is targeting at least 6.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, and nationwide, Indonesia aims to exceed 14 million international arrivals before year-end. These targets, while ambitious, appear increasingly realistic given the government’s current trajectory and coordinated efforts.
As the tourism sector navigates post-pandemic recovery and increased global competition, Indonesia’s emphasis on sustainable growth, strategic partnerships, and data-informed governance may offer a replicable model for other emerging destinations in the region. Under Minister Wardhana’s leadership, Indonesia is not only accelerating its tourism revival but also setting a benchmark for resilient and inclusive sector development.