Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry is looking into how the country can make the most out of the growing global demand for wellness tourism.
In an interview with national news agency Antara, tourism minister Widyanti Putri Wardhana pointed out how today’s travellers aren’t just looking for leisurely escapes, but destinations with the means of alleviating stress and restoring their health to a more balanced state.
Wardhana declared at the opening of the Wonderful Indonesia Wellness (WIW) Festival in Central Java on Saturday, 1st November: “The world is facing higher stress levels. Tourists now look for destinations offering wellness products so they can return home healthier and more relaxed.”
As of press time, the Tourism Ministry has defined seven main wellness categories to focus on; specifically:
- Eco-nature tourism;
- Herbal medicine;
- Healthy cuisine;
- Lifestyle and fitness;
- Arts;
- Spiritual healing; and
- Spa and ethno-spa.
To date, Indonesia ranked first in Southeast Asia for the US$56.4 billion global wellness economy, and is also the third-fastest-growing wellness market in the Asia-Pacific region.
A focused flagship
Surakarta mayor Respati Ardi thanked the central government for naming Solo as one of the host cities for this year’s WIW 2025, which runs throughout November in Solo and Yogyakarta.
Ardi said: “With our royal cultural heritage, Solo is ready to blend tradition with wellness tourism.”
The festival features five key programmes, including Javanese Wisdom Immersion, Gendhing for Therapy, Royal Dance Symphony, A Holy Journey, and Javanese Secret Recipe.
Tourism Ministry official Vincencius Jemadu explained further that WIW is a flagship event targeting 5,000 travel packages sold and US$520,000 in MSME transactions.
The ministry also launched the book Wellness Journey Across the Java Wonder as a guide for tour operators and travel agents.
