Tour de Prambanan Serves as ASEAN Diplomacy and Promotes Sport Tourism in Yogyakarta

About 50 cyclists set out for Prambanan on Saturday as ASEAN Sports Day 2026 turned a 50-kilometer ride into a showcase for friendship, culture and sport tourism in Yogyakarta.

The Tour de Prambanan began at 6 a.m. local time from Loman Park Hotel Yogyakarta. Indonesian Youth and Sports Ministry official Yayat Suyatna launched the ride alongside representatives of the Yogyakarta provincial and Sleman governments.

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The Tour de Prambanan is indeed aimed at friendship among ASEAN countries through cycling, and we also want to encourage the public to keep promoting sport

Yayat said the event was designed to bring ASEAN participants together through cycling while allowing them to experience the Prambanan area and Yogyakarta's cultural heritage. "The Tour de Prambanan is indeed aimed at friendship among ASEAN countries through cycling, and we also want to encourage the public to keep promoting sport," he said.

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Yogyakarta's cultural heritage is introduced to the world through us, with Tour de Prambanan as the tagline

He described the ride as part of an effort to develop sport tourism. The organizers hope that using sport to present Yogyakarta's heritage will make it better known internationally. Yayat also said the enthusiasm should extend beyond ASEAN Sports Day participants, encouraging young people to exercise regularly and pursue achievement in cycling.

The 2026 program also includes efforts to bring traditional sports back to younger generations. Games including egrang, or stilts, and bakiak are being used to reconnect participants with Indonesian cultural traditions. Yayat said these activities should be preserved, introduced to the world and kept familiar to young people alongside modern sports.

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Traditional sports are actually extraordinary, but the question is how to make them known to the younger generation