Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto warned Wednesday (18/3/2026) that Indonesia must immediately reform its tourism sector to mitigate the financial fallout from escalating Middle East conflicts and global connectivity disruptions.

"Indonesia needs to carry out reforms to mitigate losses from the global crisis and build a resilient, competitive tourism foundation," said Airlangga Hartarto, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, as reported by antaranews.com

He predicted potential losses of 5,500 foreign tourists and Rp 184.8 billion in daily foreign exchange revenue if mitigation strategies are not implemented. 

Reports indicate that nine international routes at Soekarno-Hatta and Ngurah Rai airports have already been impacted, affecting over 47,000 passengers. To counter these challenges, Minister Airlangga proposed expanding visa-free policies for 20 potential countries and leveraging the current exchange rate to market Indonesia as a "high-end yet affordable" destination. 

The government is also shifting focus toward "micro-tourism" and domestic travel during the 2026 Eid Al-Fitr period to stabilize the industry, which currently supports nearly 26 million jobs nationwide.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)