Indonesia and Japan Strengthen Tourism Cooperation, Advancing East Asia Market Strategy

Indonesia and Japan have strengthened tourism cooperation through the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) at Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. The MoC was signed by Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, and Japan’s MLIT Minister, Yasushi Kaneko.

The signing took place during President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to Japan, marking a significant milestone by establishing, for the first time, a formal framework for tourism cooperation between the two countries. The agreement reflects more than two years of intensive coordination and constructive dialogue.

The MoC covers several strategic areas, including joint tourism promotion in international exhibitions; development of tourism products such as wellness, gastronomy, marine tourism, ecotourism, and cultural tourism; destination management and sustainable tourism development, including tourism villages; private sector collaboration in the aviation and travel industries; human resource development through training and knowledge exchange; cooperation in MICE and international events; enhancement of air connectivity; tourism investment opportunities; and strengthening tourist protection and safety.

In her remarks, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism highlighted Japan as one of Indonesia’s key strategic partners in tourism development. “In 2025, Indonesia recorded more than 380,000 Japanese visitors, an increase of approximately 12 percent from the previous year, with an average length of stay of nearly eight days,” said Minister Widiyanti.

Emphasizing the importance of air connectivity, the Minister noted that the Tokyo–Jakarta and Tokyo–Bali routes currently serve as the backbone of tourist mobility, with opportunities to expand routes to other destinations such as Yogyakarta, as well as from major cities across Japan. 

Meanwhile, MLIT Minister Yasushi Kaneko stated that Japan continues to encourage international visitors, including from Indonesia.

“Last year, people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Indonesia surpassed one million for the first time, reflecting the increasingly close ties between our two countries,” he said.

Through this partnership, Indonesia and Japan reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing innovative, sustainable, and mutually beneficial tourism cooperation, while enhancing visitor flows and strengthening people-to-people ties.

Indonesia also aims to deepen tourism engagement with East Asian countries, particularly Japan, while addressing risks arising from ongoing global geopolitical dynamics, including uncertainties in the Middle East that may affect international tourist movements.

Through strengthened regional partnerships, Indonesia seeks to diversify its tourism markets and sustain the growth of international visitor arrivals.