The flow of international travelers into Indonesia is quietly approaching a milestone again. After years of disruption, the numbers are finally telling a recovery story that feels solid, not fragile.
From January to November 2025, Indonesia recorded 13.97 million international travelers. That figure represents a 10.44 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when arrivals stood at 12.65 million. More importantly, this is the strongest performance seen since the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped global travel patterns.
Before the pandemic, the highest benchmark was set in 2019. In that year, foreign tourist arrivals between January and November reached 14.72 million. While 2025 has not surpassed that peak, it has come closer than any other year since.
“The achievement of international tourist arrivals from January to November 2025 is the highest in the past six years,” said Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Pudji Ismartini, during a press conference on Monday (5/1/2026).
November 2025 offered a mixed picture. Indonesia welcomed 1.19 million foreign visitors during the month. This number was down 11.12 percent compared to October 2025, yet still showed healthy growth of 9.79 percent when measured against November 2024. The data suggests a seasonal slowdown, rather than a reversal of the overall recovery trend.
Looking at where visitors came from, Malaysia remained the largest source market in November, contributing 17.3 percent of total arrivals. Australia followed with an 11.3 percent share, while Singapore accounted for 10.5 percent. China contributed 8.8 percent, Timor-Leste 8.3 percent, and India 4.6 percent. South Korea, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom rounded out the top ten, each with smaller but still notable portions.
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“However, there was a decline in arrivals from Malaysia by 11.67% and Australia by 14.78%, while arrivals from Singapore still recorded a monthly increase of 2.17%,” Pudji explained.
Entry points also reveal shifting patterns. Ngurah Rai International Airport remained the busiest gateway, handling 476.50 thousand foreign arrivals. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport followed with 240.33 thousand visits. Batam recorded 125.50 thousand arrivals, while Juanda Airport saw 21.62 thousand and Kualanamu Airport registered 20.82 thousand visits.
“There was a visible monthly decline in foreign tourist arrivals through Ngurah Rai Airport, caused by a decrease in visitors from Australia, India, and China,” she emphasized.
Taken together, the figures highlight a tourism sector that is no longer just rebounding, but stabilizing. While monthly fluctuations remain, Indonesia’s ability to sustain growth across most of 2025 signals renewed confidence from international travelers. The challenge ahead will be maintaining this momentum while navigating shifting source markets and travel behavior in a post-pandemic world.
