“The Ministry of Tourism is currently placing a strong focus on developing the wellness tourism business ecosystem as a strategy to boost tourism competitiveness,” the ministry’s spokesperson Nia Niscaya told ANTARA in Jakarta on Sunday.
Efforts to develop this ecosystem cover several areas, including improving destinations, service standards, product innovation, investment, promotions, and human resource capacity.
The Ministry of Tourism believes that wellness tourism can become a key driver of high-quality tourism businesses.
Travelers seeking wellness services do not visit destinations simply to see them, but also to enjoy memorable experiences during their trips. Consequently, they tend to stay longer, opening up opportunities for higher visitor spending.
“Wellness tourism plays a key role in the tourism sector as it serves as the main component in supporting sports tourism, in addition to events, adventure tourism, and experience-based tourism or integrated area tourism,” Nia remarked.
She noted that wellness tourism accounted for 13.35 percent to foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia, according to 2024 data on International Visitor Arrivals by Tourism Activities Undertaken While in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, a report by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) indicates that the global wellness tourism industry had the potential to generate an economic impact of US$6.8 trillion in 2024, with that figure projected to increase further to US$9.75 trillion by 2029.
The 2024 GWI report also identifies Indonesia as home to the largest wellness economy in Southeast Asia, valued at US$55.77 billion.
Nia stated that the Ministry of Tourism is primarily targeting Millennial and Gen Z travelers to promote its tourism services.
According to an American Express Travel survey featured in the Indonesia Tourism Outlook 2025–2026, these two groups are expected to become increasingly active in both domestic and international travel.
“Their motivation is not just to visit destinations, but also to gain new experiences, attend events, and enjoy sports and wellness activities,” she said.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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