Back in November of last year, on the occasion of expanding the flight network in and out of Indonesia, AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes remarked that the country had so much more to offer the world than just the frantic bustle of Jakarta or the tropical idyll of Bali.
Fernandes said: “Indonesia is like a diamond in the making. People know Indonesia as Bali…but there’s so much more to it. We’re opening flight routes to a fantastic place called Labuan Bajo, to Bandung, and Indonesia has unlimited potential.”
Indeed, given how the Indonesian archipelago is made up of over 17,000 islands, many of which have their own unique cultures, traditions, and points of attraction, it is a pity that much of the world has only seen Bali and Jakarta, with a slight detour towards Surabaya.
Indonesia goes far beyond those three aforementioned destinations, and its tourism sector is keen on promoting a slew of new areas, specifically those slanting towards immersive cultural tourism, adventure tourism, and ecotourism.
Learning from the Ten New Balis issue
In mid-2024, Indonesia welcomed 6.4 million foreign tourists into its borders, its highest since it closed itself against COVID-19 in 2020 and reflecting a 21 percent increase from June 2023.
However, it was also noted that the country’s tourism sector was struggling to keep up with the growth of its regional neighbours, particularly Vietnam whose tourism industry has grown significantly over the past couple of years.
Indeed, Indonesia has struggled to boost arrival numbers as key initiatives like the 2015 10 New Balis programme of the Widodo administration failed to gain critical traction.
Under the aforementioned programme, the Indonesian government hoped to replicate the level of success it saw in Bali in other places throughout the nation.
Among those that were to be promoted as the ten new Balis were Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa, the mostly Catholic town of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa, as well as Northern Sumatra’s Lake Toba.
Unfortunately, despite a large volume of searches related to these destinations and others, online appeal failed to translate into actual arrival numbers, leading to a need for programme recalibration on the part of Indonesian tourism authorities.
Other points of interest
Despite the setbacks for the Ten New Balis initiative, Indonesia has still earmarked several destinations for the consideration of global travellers.
To date, these include:
- Bandung Best known among locals for its refreshingly cool climate, ecological diversity, and the majesty of its active volcano Tangkuban Perahu, the northern mountain province of Bandung is also emerging as one of the country’s potential MICE capitals, especially as it has hosted a number of major business events over the past several years;
- Raja Ampat This West Papuan destination is renowned for some of the best underwater biodiversity in the world, including corals and manta rays;
- Labuan Bajo & Komodo The two stalwarts of Flores Island offer numerous attractions for those interested in a different side of Indonesian culture. Labuan Bajo, as mentioned earlier, is a hub for the Christian faith in the country and has skillfully woven together Western Catholicism with local custom and tradition. Komodo, on the other hand, is a biodiverse paradise and home to the famed Komodo dragons;
- Lombok Along with the nearby Gili Islands, the beaches of Lombok offer a more serene alternative to the now overcrowded ones in Bali whilst offering more in terms of adventure and ecotourism; and
- Yogyakarta The cultural heartland of Indonesia has already made its mark thanks to the temples in Borobudur and Prambanan. But this hidden gem of a city offers some exceptional creative experiences thanks to its artistic community, as well as great dining options that deliver the diverse flavours of the archipelago.