Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 07:40 AM

Culinary tourism draws 58 percent of foreign tourists: RI Govt

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Hreeloita, Kenzu

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Tourism Ministry said 58.34 percent of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in 2025 engaged in culinary or gastronomic activities, highlighting food as a key tourism attraction.

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data showed that 58.34 percent of tourists visiting Indonesia in 2025 took part in culinary or gastronomic tourism activities, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana told journalists here Tuesday regarding this year's Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy (WIG).

WIG 2026, themed "From Local Roots to Global Recognition," will run in Solo and Yogyakarta from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, highlighting ingredients, dishes, local wisdom, traditions and food philosophies.

She said Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands offer diverse cuisines shaped by local traditions, agricultural products and cultures developed over centuries.

Indonesian gastronomy encompasses a broad ecosystem involving farmers, fishermen, producers, cooks, businesses and communities that preserve and pass down food traditions across generations, she said.

From a tourism perspective, gastronomy can help visitors understand local cultures, traditions and stories while encouraging them to explore different regions, Wardhana said.

She described Indonesia's rich, community-rooted gastronomic heritage as one of the country's key tourism assets and an opportunity to strengthen its appeal.

The government can use culinary tourism to attract more foreign visitors, with 8.98 million arrivals recorded from January through July 2026, she said.

The Tourism Ministry is targeting 16 million to 17 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, according to ministry data.

The ministry and Indonesia Gastronomy Network have launched Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy (WIG), a flagship program aimed at promoting Indonesian cuisine globally and strengthening culinary tourism.

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