Deputy Minister of Tourism (Wamenpar) Ni Luh Puspa has expressed her commitment to developing Indonesia’s marine tourism sector. She invited the Ministry of Transmigration and the Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development (Kemenkoinfra) to collaborate in this effort. Ni Luh conveyed this initiative in her remarks at the opening of Deep and Extreme Indonesia 2026 at the Jakarta Convention Center, Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (April 23, 2026).
“Of the tourists visiting Indonesia, 75% choose nature-based tourism, while 65% are interested in marine tourism. Empirically, I can report that marine tourism makes a highly significant contribution to the national tourism sector,” said Ni Luh.
She added that marine tourism contributes approximately 32%–42% to total national tourism economic activity and around 1.5%–2% to national GDP within the tourism sector. This is further supported by more than 2,000 coastal villages that have developed or are currently developing marine tourism as a driver of local economic growth.
“Many of our tourist villages are also located in transmigration areas. Therefore, we need to strengthen collaboration to stimulate and further develop this nature-based tourism,” she added. She also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted travel preferences. Previously, tourists came to Indonesia primarily for leisure; now, they seek meaningful experiences.
“Tourists now prioritize spiritual and experiential value that they can take home. We observe that many visitors, especially international tourists, are increasingly choosing nature-based activities such as diving, surfing, sailing, trekking, and other adventure tourism experiences,” she said.
The Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), who was also present at the event, responded positively to Ni Luh’s proposal and pledged support for marine tourism development.
“We fully support stronger synergy and collaboration among ministries and institutions. This includes the Ministry of Transmigration, as many transmigration areas indeed have strong potential in the marine tourism sector, along with opportunities for developing the creative economy,” said AHY.
“If these efforts are integrated and strengthened through improved infrastructure and connectivity both physical and digital we will be able to develop more marine tourism destinations that we can take pride in, with significant economic impact, as highlighted by the Deputy Minister,” he added.
AHY also addressed the development of the “10 New Bali” destinations, emphasizing the importance of connectivity in advancing Indonesia’s tourism sector.
“There are 10 ‘New Bali’ destinations being developed. Bali has long been a cornerstone of Indonesian tourism, but we must also develop other destinations with equally strong potential that have not yet been fully optimized,” he stated.
“Achieving this requires robust infrastructure and interregional connectivity from Bunaken in North Sulawesi, Wakatobi, Labuan Bajo, to Raja Ampat, and many other destinations,” he concluded.
April 23, 2026, detikTravel
(https://travel.detik.com/travel-news/d-8458242/wamenpar-ajak-kementerian-transmigrasi-dan-ahy-kembangkan-wisata-bahari)