2023 is expected to be a big year for Indonesian tourism, with a packed schedule of sporting events, festivals and promotions in the calendar over the coming months. Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, recently outlined his plan for the coming year, in a speech that bodes well for the tourism sector.
“This year will be a moment of revival for Indonesian tourism,” said the president in a speech to mark the launch of the Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) Festival 2023. This year, there will be a total of 110 KEN (festivals) held nationwide, along with 65 sports, music and creative events. The president noted that these events can be “a magnet to attract as many foreign and domestic tourists as possible, to come and enjoy the uniqueness of tourism throughout this country.”
Widodo also highlighted the need for collaboration and cooperation by industry stakeholders, so they can collectively raise standards in tourism destinations nationwide. To that end, various tourism activities and events are scheduled for the months ahead, as part of government plans to increase business competitiveness through innovation and creativity.
A number of international sporting events have already been confirmed for 2023, including the F1 Powerboat race, the U-20 FIFA World Cup, the FIBA World Cup, the ANOC World Beach Games, MotoGP and the World Superbike (WSBK) race. With so many elite-level competitions already in the calendar, the Indonesian government is expecting sports tourism along to bring in revenue equal to half a billion US dollars this year.
Indonesia’s tourism ministry have confirmed targets of 7.4 million international arrivals in 2023. With increased investment from the government and a wide array of elite-level sporting events and occasions to look forward to, the ministry appears well on track to meeting its objective.
