Sports Events Become Indonesia's Tourism Promotion Strategy for the Global Market

Indonesia has significant potential to develop sport tourism through hosting a wide range of national and international events. Beyond attracting tourist arrivals, these sporting competitions act as a gateway to showcase local destinations while stimulating regional economic growth.

Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is pushing for more sports competitions and activities to be held across the country. This strategy is designed to boost Indonesia's global profile, while maximising the tourism value generated from every hosted event.

Hafiz Agung Rifa, Acting (Plt) Deputy for Event Organiser Development at the Ministry of Tourism, stated that hosting sporting events helps strengthen Indonesia's recognition within international markets.

“We absolutely hope that as more sporting events take place in Indonesia, our country will gain greater global visibility,” Hafiz remarked following a press conference for the “OGFC Legends Manchester United 2008 vs Persija Legends” event in Jakarta on Friday.

According to Hafiz, Indonesia already possesses the required infrastructure and facilities to host world-class sporting events. This potential must be utilised to attract more visitors, both from within the country and overseas.

Rolling out sport tourism development across different regions creates opportunities for local destinations to reach broader consumer markets.

Sporting events give travellers new motivation to visit, while simultaneously showcasing the natural landscapes, Cultural Heritage, and authentic local experiences surrounding event locations.

Mandalika to Borobudur: Core Drivers of Indonesia's Sport Tourism

Until now, Mandalika has been recognised as one of Indonesia's leading sport tourism hubs. However, sport tourism growth will not be limited exclusively to this area. The Ministry of Tourism aims to support sporting event hosting in all regions that demonstrate Tourism Potential.

“Many successful sporting events are already hosted outside Mandalika. The well-known Borobudur Marathon is another key priority for us, along with multiple other emerging destinations,” Hafiz explained.

Mandalika serves as a proven model for integrating a destination with large-scale international sporting events. Meanwhile, the Borobudur Marathon demonstrates how running events can be combined with immersive tourism experiences in sites of major historical and cultural significance.

By distributing event hosting across multiple regions, tourism benefits will not remain concentrated in only a small number of popular destinations.

Host regions will gain increased economic activity through demand for accommodation, transport, local food services, and all other supporting tourism sectors.

Sport Tourism Creates Opportunities for MSMEs

The Ministry of Tourism also frames sport tourism as an interconnected ecosystem that spans multiple economic sectors. For this reason, its development requires cross-ministerial collaboration and industry partnership, including with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora).

Rizki Handayani Mustafa, Acting (Plt) Deputy for Industry and Investment at the Ministry of Tourism, noted that the Sports Industry holds growth potential that extends far beyond the actual running of competitions.

This wider ecosystem covers all supporting goods and services, including official merchandise and cultural souvenirs that can be produced and sold by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“Our goal is not just to run successful standalone events, but to grow the entire supporting sport Tourism Ecosystem alongside them,” stated Rizki.

Engaging MSMEs is a critical step to ensure that the economic benefits from sporting events are distributed widely among local communities.

Local business operators can offer regional specialty products, traditional food and drinks, custom souvenirs, and all other services required by visiting event attendees.

Travel Packages Extend Tourist Length of Stay

Alongside ecosystem development, the Ministry of Tourism emphasises that Travel Packages must be prepared well in advance of events. This measure provides travellers, particularly international visitors, with structured activity options outside of the official competition schedule.

Travellers arriving to attend a sporting event can be guided to explore nearby attractions, or extend their trip to other regions across Indonesia.

This additional experience will directly extend their total length of stay in the country, while also increasing their overall tourism expenditure.

“When international visitors come to Indonesia, they won't just come to watch a single match. They will also travel and sightsee, resulting in a much longer stay in our country,” she explained.

Travel packages can be customised to match the nature of each event and the unique characteristics of the host destination. Visitors attending or spectating sports can be offered cultural tours, local culinary experiences, historical site visits, and outdoor nature activities.

This approach requires close collaboration between event organisers, travel operators, destination managers, accommodation providers, transport services and local MSMEs. With integrated planning, travellers will be able to access a seamless, complete Travel Experience.