Jakarta is set to take on a bigger role in connecting Indonesia’s tourism industry with the global market. Through the Wonderful Indonesia Tourism Fair (WITF) 2026, the capital is being positioned not simply as a place where international visitors arrive, but as a meeting point where global tourism buyers can connect with destinations and tourism businesses from across the country.
WITF 2026 will take place at JIExpo Kemayoran from October 15 to 17. The event will promote Indonesian tourism to international markets while also creating a new opportunity for Jakarta to strengthen its position within the country’s tourism ecosystem.
For Budi Tirtawisata, Chairman of the WITF 2026 Steering Committee, Jakarta has a strategic role because of its position as a major center for economic, business, cultural, and tourism activities in Indonesia.
“Jakarta is not only the venue, Jakarta is an important part of the WITF 2026 story, particularly as we approach the five-century celebration of Jakarta in 2027. Jakarta holds a very strategic position for Indonesian tourism, as the capital and one of Indonesia’s main gateways,” Budi said during a press conference for WITF 2026 at the Ministry of Tourism Office on Wednesday (September 23, 2026).
That role will be reflected in how WITF brings different sides of the tourism industry together. International buyers will travel to Jakarta to meet tourism industry players representing various regions of Indonesia. At the same time, destination representatives from across the country will use the event to present their tourism potential directly to the international market.
The idea is to create more than a promotional opportunity. These face-to-face meetings are expected to build business connections that can eventually encourage travelers from different countries to explore destinations throughout Indonesia.
“And through these meetings, we want to create connections that can bring tourists from various countries to destinations in Indonesia. This is what we mean by Jakarta as The Great Hub. Jakarta is not only a point of arrival, Jakarta is a meeting point,” Budi said.
This concept places business connections at the center of WITF. Instead of having international markets simply learn about Indonesian destinations through promotional materials, buyers can meet the businesses and destination representatives behind the products directly.
WITF 2026 is an initiative of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI), with support from the Ministry of Tourism and the Jakarta Provincial Government. The event is expected to bring together a substantial number of tourism buyers from both Indonesia and overseas.
“WITF 2026 will be attended by more than 300 buyers from overseas and Indonesia, covering leisure, corporate, and meeting needs. As of now, there are buyers from 35 countries who will be looking for tourism products and packages, as well as new destinations in Indonesia,” Budi added.
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The presence of buyers from 35 countries gives Indonesian tourism businesses an opportunity to present a wider range of products to international markets. Their interests will cover tourism products and packages as well as destinations that may not yet be familiar to travelers from overseas.
Exhibitors from different parts of Indonesia will also participate in the event. They will showcase their destinations and present them as tourism products that can be offered to the global market.
For the Indonesian tourism industry, this creates a direct link between destinations on the ground and buyers looking for new products and travel experiences. Jakarta provides the physical meeting point, while the participating destinations bring the tourism offerings from across Indonesia.
“With buyers from 35 countries, WITF will serve as a marketplace for selling tourism and travel products to the global market,” said GIPI Chairman Hariyadi B.S. Sukamdani.
With this approach, WITF 2026 is expected to strengthen Jakarta’s role as a hub for Indonesia’s tourism business. The capital is not only hosting an international tourism event, but also bringing together global buyers and tourism players from different parts of Indonesia in one place.
The event will therefore serve two connected purposes. It will promote Indonesia’s diverse tourism destinations while creating business opportunities between the people offering those destinations and the international markets that could help bring more travelers to them.
