Sporting Events Become Indonesia's Strategy for Promoting Tourism to the Global Market.

Indonesia has significant opportunities to develop Sports Tourism or Sport Tourism through hosting various national and international events. Beyond attracting tourist arrivals, these sporting events can act as a gateway to introduce Tourism Destinations while simultaneously driving regional economies.

The Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is pushing for an increasing number of sports competitions and activities to be held across the country. This strategy is expected to expand Indonesia's global appeal, while also maximising the tourism benefits generated from every hosted event.

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

“We absolutely hope that more sporting events will be held in Indonesia, this will of course make our country increasingly well known on the world stage,” Hafiz stated after a press conference for the “OGFC Legends Manchester United 2008 vs Persija Legends” match held in Jakarta on Friday.

According to Hafiz, Indonesia already possesses the infrastructure and facilities required to host world-class sporting events. This potential must be utilised to bring in greater numbers of both domestic and international visitors.

Developing Sports Tourism across different regions creates opportunities for Tourism Destinations to reach wider markets.

Sporting events provide new reasons for tourists to visit, while also showcasing the natural heritage, culture and local experiences available around the event venue.

From Mandalika to Borobudur: Leading Indonesia's Sports Tourism Growth

To date, Mandalika is recognised as one of Indonesia's premier sports tourism destinations. However, sports tourism development is not limited to this area alone. The Ministry of Tourism aims to encourage sporting events to be hosted across all regions with Tourism Potential.

“Many sporting events have already been held outside of Mandalika. The well-known Borobudur Marathon is one key focus for us, alongside a number of other destinations,” Hafiz explained.

Mandalika serves as a successful example of how a destination can be integrated with international scale sporting events. Meanwhile, the Borobudur Marathon demonstrates the potential of combining running events with tourism experiences at locations with significant historical and cultural value.

By expanding event hosting across multiple regions, it is expected that tourism benefits will not become concentrated in just one destination.

Host regions stand to gain increased economic activity through demand for accommodation, transport, food services and other tourism related offerings.

Sports Tourism Creates Opportunities for MSMEs

The Ministry of Tourism also views sports tourism as an interconnected ecosystem that involves multiple sectors. For this reason, its development requires cross-ministerial cooperation and industry stakeholder collaboration, including with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora).

Rizki Handayani Mustafa, Acting Deputy for Industry and Investment at the Ministry of Tourism, stated that the Sports Industry has growth potential that extends far beyond the actual match or event itself.

This ecosystem includes various supporting products ranging from official merchandise to local souvenirs, all of which can be produced and sold by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

“This means we are not just focused on the single event itself, we want the entire sports Tourism Ecosystem around it to grow as well,” said Rizki.

Involving MSMEs is one of the key ways to ensure that the economic benefits of sporting events are distributed more widely to local communities.

Local business operators can offer regional specialty products, food and beverages, souvenirs, as well as all other services required by visiting attendees.

Tour Packages Encourage Extended Visitor Stays

Alongside building the industry ecosystem, the Ministry of Tourism has also highlighted that curated Travel Packages must be prepared well before events take place. This will provide tourists, particularly international visitors, with options for additional activities outside of the main event schedule.

Tourists travelling to attend a competition can be guided to explore destinations around the event venue, or extend their trip to visit other regions of Indonesia.

This experience has the potential to lengthen their stay in the country, while also increasing overall tourism spending.

“So for international visitors coming here, they don't just come to watch the match. They will also travel and explore, meaning they spend much longer staying in Indonesia,” she explained.

Tour packages can be tailored to match the characteristics of each event and host destination. Visitors attending or watching sporting events can be offered additional experiences including Cultural Tourism activities, local cuisine tastings, historical site visits and nature excursions.

This approach requires collaboration between event organisers, Travel operators, destination managers, accommodation providers, transport services and MSMEs. With integrated planning, tourists will be able to access complete, seamless Travel Experiences.