Jakarta. Indonesia has lost an estimated 60,000 foreign tourists due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have disrupted air travel, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a parliamentary hearing with Commission VII in Jakarta, Widiyanti said the geopolitical situation has begun to weigh on Southeast Asia’s largest economy, particularly its tourism sector.

“Global geopolitical dynamics are putting pressure on tourism,” she said.

The disruption stems in part from the closure of Iranian airspace between Feb. 28 and March 28, which affected flight routes from major Middle Eastern hubs including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Madinah, and Muscat. The restrictions led to the cancellation of around 770 international flights bound for key Indonesian destinations such as Jakarta, Bali, and Medan.

As a result, tens of thousands of prospective visitors were unable to travel, translating into a potential foreign exchange loss of about Rp2.04 trillion ($118 million), according to government estimates.

Widiyanti also warned that rising global oil prices could further dampen international travel demand. Higher fuel costs are expected to push up airfares, with airlines likely to impose fuel surcharges that could discourage long-haul travel.

To mitigate the impact, the government is shifting its tourism strategy toward closer and more resilient markets. Widiyanti said her ministry is pivoting to Southeast Asia, East Asia, and medium-haul markets, while strengthening partnerships with airlines operating direct routes to Europe and the United States.

“In the face of global pressure, we must move more adaptively,” she said.

Indonesia is targeting between 16 million and 17.6 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2026, supported by efforts to diversify source markets, expand tourism villages, and improve inter-ministerial coordination.

Despite the emerging headwinds, recent data show the sector still maintaining growth momentum. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded 1.16 million foreign tourist arrivals in February, up 13.37% from a year earlier.

Cumulatively, the country welcomed 2.35 million visitors in the first two months of 2026, a 7.77% increase compared with the same period last year.

By nationality, Malaysian visitors accounted for the largest share in February with 199,220 arrivals, or 17.18% of the total, although that figure marked a 7.17% decline year-on-year. Chinese tourists followed with 150,820 visits, rising sharply by 68.89%, while arrivals from Singapore reached 109,330, up 21.81%.

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