A Manchester United Legend's Visit to Jakarta Becomes an Attraction for Indonesia's Sport Tourism.

Football is not merely a sport with millions of fans. Beyond the matches and fan enthusiasm, it holds opportunities to drive the tourism sector, from Tourist Visits, travel-related spending, all the way to promoting Indonesian Culture to the global stage.

This potential has become a focus for the Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar). Hafiz Agung Rifai, Acting Deputy for Event Organizer Development at the Ministry of Tourism, expressed hope that football can serve as one gateway to strengthen Sport Tourism, or Sports Tourism in Indonesia.

According to Hafiz, football carries cross-border and cross-cultural appeal. This sport is able to unite people from different national, cultural, and religious backgrounds.

“As we all know, Indonesia has a population of over 270 million people, and the vast majority of them are passionate football fans,” stated Hafiz during the press conference for the “OGFC Legends Manchester United 2008 vs Persija Legends” match held in Jakarta on Friday.

Indonesia's large football fan base forms the foundation to develop sporting events as part of the country's tourism experience offerings.

Furthermore, matches featuring well-known clubs or players have the potential to draw visitors from outside the host city, even from overseas.

Football Can Drive Tourist Spending

Sports Tourism is one of the Ministry of Tourism's flagship programs. Sporting events are proven to build emotional connections that motivate people to travel specifically to watch matches in person.

The impacts do not end at the stadium. Visiting fans may stay for multiple days, try local culinary offerings, purchase specialty local goods, and share their experiences through social media.

“They fly across oceans just to watch one match, stay for several days, taste our food, buy our batik products. Then they share all of these moments on social media — this becomes excellent organic promotion that we do not even have to pay for. That is a huge advantage for us,” explained Hafiz.

This visitor activity creates opportunities across multiple sectors, including hospitality, restaurants, transportation, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as practitioners in the Creative Industry.

For this reason, hosting sporting events presents an opportunity to introduce more of Indonesia's attractions to visiting guests.

Manchester United Legends Visit Jakarta

The Ministry of Tourism has expressed appreciation for the Road to OGFC Unite 2027 event organized by Offside Corp. This programme will bring former Manchester United players Patrice Evra and Park Ji-sung to Senayan, Jakarta, on 23–25 October 2026.

“As Mr Gilbert has stated, we are confident that Indonesia is the number one country in the world for Manchester United supporters. That is why there is no better place for OGFC Unite to begin this global tour than right here in Jakarta,” said Hafiz.

Gilbert Garlycia, CEO of Offside Corp, explained that Road to OGFC Unite 2027 was developed as part of efforts to host International Football events that deliver wide-ranging benefits for Indonesia.

“OGFC Unite 2027 is not just about bringing a football match. It is about creating an experience that connects global football legends, fans, local communities, and Indonesia's entire tourism industry,” stated Gilbert Garlycia.

Countdown To The April 2027 Match

The Road to OGFC Unite 2027 programme forms part of the lead-up to the special headline match scheduled to take place at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, in April 2027.

This upcoming match will be the second stop on the OGFC global tour.

Previously, the first edition of this event saw the OGFC Legends squad face off against Suwon Samsung Bluewings Legends at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in South Korea on 19 April.

That match was attended by over 38,000 spectators.

The high audience turnout for the preceding match demonstrates the potential of football events featuring global legends to capture fan interest.

For Indonesia, events of this nature can be leveraged to expand Tourism Promotion while delivering a blended experience that combines sport, entertainment, culinary offerings and local culture.