Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 09:24 AM UTC

ASEAN, South Korea target 20 million tourist exchanges

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Hreeloita Dharma Shanti, Katriana

Jakarta (ANTARA) - ASEAN member states and South Korea are targeting an increase in two-way tourist exchanges from 13 million to more than 20 million, Indonesia's Tourism Ministry said.

The target will be pursued by facilitating travel and improving the quality of tourism services across the region.

"Our focus is shifting toward tangible outcomes," Deputy for Human Resources and Institutions at the Tourism Ministry Martini M. Paham said at the 2026 ASEAN-Korea Roundtable in Tourism (AKRT) in Jakarta on Thursday.

"(This focus) includes piloting joint initiatives, standardizing regional service frameworks, and integrating digital solutions across the entire travel customer journey," she added.

Martini said the cooperation aimed to produce concrete measures to improve connectivity and enhance tourist experiences across the region.

The target for increased tourist exchanges is also in line with Indonesia's efforts to develop high-quality, sustainable, and inclusive tourism, as outlined in the 2025-2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. The meeting was also part of the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Economic Cooperation Initiative.

This year's event in Jakarta followed the inaugural meeting held in Da Nang, Vietnam, last year, which produced a baseline assessment, cross-country policy dialogue, and an identification of barriers to tourist mobility.

This year's discussions focused on implementing joint initiatives, aligning regional tourism service frameworks, and integrating digital solutions throughout the tourist journey.

Martini said the two-day event brought participants together to discuss four main themes: improving travel safety and facilitation, strengthening systems to address travel barriers, developing human resources in the tourism sector, and promoting understanding of cultural diversity.

Policy recommendations from the meeting will be followed up through technical working groups to translate them into concrete institutional measures.

The event's program also includes a technical visit to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah on Saturday (November 7) to introduce participants to Indonesia's cultural diversity.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Korea MICE Bureau and representative of the Korea Tourism Organization Hyun Sun Hong said the meeting served as a bridge for exchanging knowledge, strengthening friendship, and fostering cooperation among participating governments.

Hong expressed confidence that South Korea and ASEAN were valued partners that could expand their shared knowledge through tourism expertise and explore ways to strengthen the sector's impact on local communities.

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