Indonesia Records 8.5 Million Foreign Tourist Arrivals as of July 2025
Makassar, The Gulf Observer: Foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia reached 8.5 million as of July 2025, marking a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Tourism reported.
“In 2024, Indonesia welcomed 13.9 million foreign tourists, an increase of 19 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, as of July 2025, 8.5 million tourists have been recorded,” Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said at the graduation ceremony of the Makassar Tourism Polytechnic on Saturday.
Wardhana highlighted that the country’s tourism sector is undergoing a remarkable revival. Domestic tourist trips surpassed 1 billion in 2024, and by July 2025 the figure had risen 19.25 percent year-on-year.
The minister emphasized that Indonesia’s tourism development should prioritize not only the growth of visitor numbers but also the delivery of quality experiences, environmental and cultural preservation, and equitable benefits for local communities.
Amid this expansion, she underlined the importance of building skilled, adaptive, and competitive human resources. Tourism polytechnic graduates, she said, must possess technical expertise, leadership abilities, cross-cultural communication skills, and strong integrity.
“You are the new generation who will meet future challenges, drive transformation, and ensure Indonesia’s tourism remains competitive while benefiting the community,” she told the graduates.
At the ceremony, deaf graduate Ridho Raditya Putra expressed gratitude to his classmates and lecturers for their support in helping him become a sign-language tour guide. He encouraged fellow graduates to remain optimistic and stressed that kindness and understanding are key to overcoming communication barriers.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Tourism is targeting foreign tourist arrivals of 14.6 million to 16 million in 2025, higher than the total recorded in 2024.
