Indonesia Minister Pushes Asian Tourism Collaboration at Travel Meet Asia 2026

Indonesia's Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, has highlighted the strategic importance of the Travel Meet Asia 2026 event, calling it a vital platform for the Asian travel industry to forge partnerships and collaboratively shape the future of tourism.

"More than just a marketplace, this event serves as a forum for building partnerships, exchanging ideas, and shaping the future of tourism in our region and beyond," Widi stated at the opening of the two-day event in Jakarta. The international business-to-business (B2B) tourism exchange, organized by Messe Berlin Asia Pacific with support from ITB Asia and the Association of The Indonesia Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA), brings together travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, airlines, and other stakeholders.

This year's forum attracted approximately 1,500 participants, including 500 buyers, 100 exhibitors from 16 countries, and 60 speakers. Minister Widi emphasized tourism's dynamism, citing UN Tourism data that showed 1.52 billion international arrivals globally in 2025, a 4% increase from the previous year. Indonesia's tourism sector, however, outpaced this global average, experiencing a 10.8% rise in foreign tourist arrivals in 2025 and generating $18.27 billion in foreign exchange.

The sector is a major employer in Indonesia, supporting 25.9 million jobs. It also plays an inclusive role, involving micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), women, and youth. Tourism strengthens livelihoods, creates new economic opportunities, and encourages local communities to preserve natural and cultural heritage across Indonesia's more than 6,200 tourist villages. The minister noted significant opportunities for business, partnerships, and investment across various segments, including gastronomy, wellness, marine, cultural, adventure, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions).

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More than just a marketplace, this event serves as a forum for building partnerships, exchanging ideas, and shaping the future of tourism in our region and beyond.