Jakarta. Indonesia is targeting up to 19.1 million international tourist arrivals in 2027 as Southeast Asia’s largest economy seeks to expand tourism’s contribution to growth, jobs, and foreign exchange earnings.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said on Wednesday that the government aims to attract between 17.6 million and 19.1 million foreign visitors next year, up from its 2026 target of 16 million to 17.6 million arrivals.

“We are committed to optimizing all available resources so that tourism can make a greater contribution to the national economy, job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and public welfare,” Widiyanti told lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing in Jakarta.

The government is shifting its focus toward higher-quality and more sustainable tourism as it seeks to increase visitor spending and strengthen the sector’s economic impact.

Under its 2027 tourism strategy, Indonesia plans to complete the development of 10 priority destinations and launch three regenerative tourism destinations aimed at promoting sustainable travel and environmental preservation.

The targets align with the government’s broader economic growth goal of 5.8% to 6.5% next year. Industries closely linked to tourism, including accommodation, food, and beverage services, are expected to grow between 8.7% and 9.3%.

To support the targets, the Tourism Ministry plans to strengthen workforce skills, expand international marketing efforts, develop more high-quality attractions and events, promote sustainable tourism practices, improve destinations, and build a more inclusive tourism supply chain.

The ministry is also aiming to increase average spending per foreign visitor to between $1,447 and $1,497 per trip in 2027, up about 5.5% to 6.6% from this year’s target.

Higher tourist arrivals and spending are expected to boost tourism foreign exchange earnings to between $25.5 billion and $28.6 billion, representing growth of about 16% from the previous year.

Domestic tourism is also projected to remain strong, with the government targeting 1.28 billion domestic trips in 2027, an increase of 8.5% from 2026.

The tourism sector is expected to employ 27.33 million people next year, up 3% year-on-year, while its contribution to gross domestic product is projected to rise to between 4.7% and 4.8%. Tourism investment is targeted to reach Rp 71 trillion ($4.4 billion), an increase of nearly 12% from the previous year.

Despite budget constraints, the ministry has been allocated Rp 1.01 trillion for 2027 to support its key performance targets and address strategic issues facing the tourism sector.

Indonesia's tourism industry has rebounded strongly since the pandemic, with Bali remaining the country's main international gateway while authorities seek to diversify visitor flows to other destinations and encourage higher-value tourism across the archipelago.