As part of a wider strategy to promote sustainable tourism in the archipelago, Indonesian officials are ramping up their efforts to promote the so-called ‘big five’ or ‘super priority’ attractions in locations nationwide – Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo and Likupang.
The overarching aim is to attract a new generation of discerning, environmentally minded travellers with a range of offerings that emphasise ecotourism, characterised by authentic, mutually beneficial cultural interactions and immersion in local communities. This push for ethical tourism will in turn contribute to the nation’s target of 16 million international visitors in 2025.
Indonesia is already on track to meet this target, following a very promising year in 2024. Up to November, around 12.7 million foreign travellers made the trip, representing a 20.2% increase on the same period in the previous year. A common theme that emerged from these visits was the popularity of new and less-travelled destinations, and it is this appeal that the government is aiming to amplify in the months ahead.
Similarly, industry professionals have increasingly become aware that travellers in the post-pandemic landscape are shifting the tourism paradigm through their transactions, their choices and their interactions with the places they visit. This new generation of globe-trotters are looking for authentic cultural experiences, a connection to nature and a more ethical, more meaningful way to interact with people and place.
With its vast array of beautiful islands and incredible cultural diversity, Indonesia offers a broad range of less-commercialised destinations for travellers to explore. In locations like Likupang in North Sulawesi, visitors can experience the breath-taking biodiversity and natural landscapes of Indonesia, through sustainable tour packages that actively contribute to conservation.
Similarly, destinations like Lake Toba in North Sumatra demonstrate the awe-inspiring beauty of Indonesia’s landscapes, embodied in Southeast Asia’s largest volcanic caldera lake. The surrounding landscape is also home to waterfalls, rolling hills and rice fields, where the ancient traditions of the region’s Batak tribes continue to play out against a spectacular natural backdrop.
In Central Java, Borobudur is the world’s largest and arguably most beautiful Buddhist temple, which stands as a tribute to Indonesia’s rich history and cultural complexity. Further down the island chain, Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores is a gateway to Komodo National Park, home to Indonesia’s famous dragons and the setting for incredible adventures in nature.
Completing this quintet of incredible locations, Lombok’s Mandalika project combines culture, natural beauty and the comforts of modern tourism development. The area regularly hosts premier international sporting events such as the Moto GP, and combines the convenience of modern hotels with the cultural richness of traditional Sasak villages.
From Sumatra and Java to Sulawesi, Lombok and Labuan Bajo, Indonesia is blessed with a staggering array of destinations to explore and enjoy. Whether looking for cultural exploration, immersion in nature, historical treasures or modern comforts, visitors to the archipelago are truly spoiled for choice. In return, and by exploring more deeply in these far-flung locations, travellers to Indonesia are helping to make the Indonesian tourism landscape a more varied, equitable and sustainable place.
