Data from the Central Statistics Agency (Badan Pusat Statistik or BPS) reveals that the number of foreign tourist visits to Jakarta in 2024 was high, yet they stayed for a maximum of only two days.
“In 2024, data from the BPS showed that the average length of stay for foreign tourists was only two days, while domestic tourists were only 1.53 days,” said the Head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Andhika Permata, as quoted from the press on Wednesday, the 24th of September.
He explained that Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) data shows that the number of tourist trips in the six regions of Jakarta and the Thousand Islands actually reached tens of millions throughout last year. The highest number of trips was recorded in South Jakarta with 25.1 million trips, followed by Central Jakarta with 17.5 million trips, East Jakarta with 14.5 million trips, North Jakarta with 13.2 million trips, West Jakarta with 13 million trips, and the Thousand Islands with 182,000 trips.
“However, this travel data does not directly correlate with the low length of stay of tourists in Jakarta [last year],” continued Permata.
Since then, and especially during the year 2025, Permata acknowledged that the Jakarta Provincial Government has made various efforts to increase the duration of tourist visits, from promoting tourism domestically and internationally to strengthening digital campaigns.
Having said that, there is still more work to be done.
“All of this is not enough; we need input from various parties,” Permata added.
In response to this information, Kadek Arini, a travel vlogger, argued that easier access to transportation can encourage tourists to stay longer in a certain region or city. She cited her experience travelling to Tokyo, Japan, during which information availability was also proven to be encouraging for a tourist to enjoy a longer stay instead.
“As soon as we arrived at Haneda [airport] or Narita [airport], there was a tourist centre right there. We could ask questions and be guided easily,” Arini remarked.
Furthermore, the friendliness of the locals, delicious cuisine, and a number of free tourist attractions, such as parks, can also play a role in a tourist’s decision of whether to stay longer or not.
“So, when we go to Japan, tickets are definitely expensive, and hotels are expensive [as well]. But there are also many free places to enjoy. There are places where we can enjoy the city view without having to spend any money,” Arini concluded.