Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, October 2, 2026 at 02:25 PM UTC

WIG 2026 connects Indonesian gastronomy with global markets

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Hery Sidik, Bayu Prasetyo

..the gastronomic ecosystem can only grow when those who produce also have access to buyers, industry players, and broader market opportunities,

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana opened the Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy (WIG) 2026 Artisan Market in Yogyakarta, a forum connecting Indonesia's rich gastronomic heritage with industry and markets.

Speaking at the WIG 2026 event at Grand Hotel de Djokja in Yogyakarta on Friday, the minister said the forum brought together the government, industry players, chefs, practitioners, academics, and communities to discuss gastronomy from various perspectives.

"As an identity and socioeconomic driver, we need to explore how culinary heritage can develop into businesses and gastronomic tourism opportunities, as well as how Indonesia's flavors and stories can be developed into a global narrative," she said.

According to Widiyanti, gastronomic tourism goes beyond the experience of tasting food. Indonesia’s culinary wealth needs to be developed into an attraction that can encourage travel while generating sustainable economic benefits for local communities.

“The ultimate goal is not merely to get people to taste Indonesian food. We want flavors to become a reason for people to travel, visit a destination, meet its people, and learn about its gastronomic value chain,” she said.

The effort to connect culinary diversity with business opportunities is also reflected in the Artisan Market, which features 21 tenants from the Joglosemar region and Jakarta.

The Artisan Market, which celebrates the diversity, creativity, and quality of gastronomic products during the three-day event, is expected to attract up to 1,300 visitors.

Visitors can find a variety of products made from local ingredients, ranging from aromatic rice, selected spices, and internationally certified artisanal cheese to Indonesian tea and coffee, as well as various traditional herbal drinks with a modern twist.

Other regional products featured at the event include pure honey, organic coconut sugar, premium tempeh, artisanal cookies, and fermented beverages such as kombucha and artisanal soda.

The diversity highlights the vast potential of local ingredients and the creativity of Indonesian gastronomic entrepreneurs in turning them into value-added products that, with proper development, can compete in global markets.

According to the minister, producers and micro, small, and medium enterprises from various regions are being connected with markets through a range of products.

“This is important because the gastronomic ecosystem can only grow when those who produce also have access to buyers, industry players, and broader market opportunities,” she said.

She added that spaces that bring together producers, MSMEs, industry players, and consumers are an important part of building a sustainable gastronomic ecosystem.

Thus, she said, culinary wealth can be preserved not only as heritage but also continuously developed as a source of added value and prosperity for communities.

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