The Indonesian tourism sector records double-digit growth in arrivals, further strengthening the country’s foreign exchange earnings for the year 2025.
Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana highlighted the sector’s contribution to foreign exchange earnings up to the third quarter of 2025. International tourist arrivals from January to October 2025 reached 12.76 million, representing a 10.32% increase compared with the same period last year. It is projected that total foreign tourist arrivals will reach 15.31 million by the end of the year.
Furthermore, citing data from the Central Statistics Agency (Badan Pusat Statistik or BPS), Wardhana noted that the average expenditure per foreign tourist in the third quarter reached US$1,259, equivalent to Rp21.04 million (based on an exchange rate of Rp16,716 per US dollar).
“As a result, during the same quarter, the tourism sector generated US$13.82 billion in foreign exchange earnings,” she explained during the Wonderful Indonesia Great Sale event in South Jakarta on Thursday, the 18th of December.
According to Wardhana, the trend of foreign tourist spending during visits to Indonesia remains strong and has become a key focus of tourism promotion efforts, particularly ahead of the year-end holiday season. Of the 15 target markets contributing to tourist arrivals, Malaysia recorded the highest number of visitors, accounting for 17% of total arrivals.
“Shopping is one of the most important attractions for tourists when choosing a destination. Around 11.4% of tourist expenditure is spent on souvenirs or gifts. Tourists from Malaysia continue to be the largest contributors,” she added.