Indonesian Ambassador pushes for direct Jakarta flight; urges India to ‘go beyond Bali’

In 2024, a total of 710,688 Indian tourists visited Indonesia, a 17% increase from the previous year. Indian tourists were the second biggest visitors to Bali after Australians. Indonesian Ambassador in India, Ina H. Krisnamurthi shared more with T3 on the sidelines of a recent activation hosted by  Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia with support of their India representative, OMPL Group. 

In a clear call to India’s booming outbound market, the Indonesian Ambassador in India, Ina H. Krisnamurthi urged the travel trade to “go beyond the existing” and look at Indonesia as a multi-dimensional destination—not just Bali. The envoy, speaking with T3 during a business matching and tourism promotion session in Delhi, outlined a sharpened strategy that starts with a direct flight connectivity (to Jakarta) and tapping emerging travel segments to deepen bilateral engagement. 

“Last year, Indian tourists were the second biggest visitors to Bali after Australians. Our vision is to maintain at least the same numbers, and hopefully more, especially in these honeymoon and wedding months,” the Ambassador said, reinforcing the strong base India already holds in Bali-bound travel. But she was quick to add: “Indonesia is too big to only focus on Bali. We hope Indian tourists start looking beyond it.” Notably, in 2024, a total of 710,688 Indian tourists visited Indonesia, a 17% increase from the previous year.

Indonesia’s visitor numbers from India have not grown compared to 2024, based on data until September, she admitted. “But there is a tendency for an increase in the last three months of the year. We’re hopeful we can catch up.” 

To reshape perception and travel behaviour, the Ambassador highlighted a curated narrative: R.I.C.H — Religion, Culture, History, a theme she personally introduced in India. “One of the things I want to promote is the linkage of history and social culture. We have so many similarities, especially in architecture and heritage destinations, from Yogyakarta to Central Java, Kalimantan and Toraja. So when you talk about this term (RICH), it has to be taken beyond Bali” she said. 

But despite the growing interest and strong tourism fundamentals, the Ambassador flagged a persistent bottleneck: connectivity.

“I keep pushing for direct flights to Jakarta. We have spoken to airlines like Air India and IndiGo but nothing concrete has come out yet. Jakarta and Yogyakarta have good MICE infrastructure but without direct flights, it’s a challenge,” she said. Past attempts such as Chennai–Medan failed due to low outbound traffic. “Traffic is the biggest homework; direct flights will only come henceforth.”

“To establish traffic, we need to explain to travellers the deep linkages of our social culture, history and more importantly—our shared economy, health, pharma and many other sectors. We have done quite a lot to sustain and maintain the flow, and we are committed to increasing and elevating it further. But we still need to do more, and that is one clear way to move forward,” she added. 

Speaking on segments, while weddings and honeymoons remain dominant, the ambassador shared that Indonesia is seeing traction from several other niche segments. 

“Golfers and cruisers are the next strongest categories,” she said, pointing to recent cruise itineraries including stopovers in Sabang. Health cooperation is also emerging: “We have sister hospitals, academic collaborations, fellowships, professors, think tanks; these may not yet create tourist traffic, but the foundation is strong.” 

“We’re also looking at elevating our approach by tapping into sectors we haven’t explored enough—films, documentaries and visual storytelling. There’s strong interest in niche areas like religion, culture and historical linkages, and promoting through visuals is far more impactful than brochures,” she added. 

MICE also remain a priority, with Krisnamurthi stating that Jakarta and Central Java have hosted several conferences and are ready for more. But a direct flight would definitely aid the momentum. 

At the end, she insisted the travel trade community in India saying, “Please go beyond. The existing is good but not enough. Indonesia is not a transit hub; we are the destination. Please look beyond what already exists.” 

Notably, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia held a Business Matching activity on November 18, 2025, in New Delhi, in response to the market opportunities for Indian tourists, which continues to show a positive trend for Indonesian tourism. This business matching session brought together 23 Indonesian sellers, comprising travel agents/tour operators, hotels and resorts, and restaurants, with at least 50 Indian buyers, including travel agents, tour operators, MICE organisers, and other tourism stakeholders.