Year-End Holidays Are Becoming More Affordable, Four Transportation Modes Receive Stimulus

Jakarta – The government has prepared a Transportation Stimulus budget of IDR 883.4 billion ahead of the 2026 Christmas and 2027 New Year (Nataru) holiday period. This program covering four transport modes is projected to reach approximately 6.14 million users, while also opening opportunities to boost tourist travel to regions across Indonesia.

This allocation is more than double the 2025/2026 Nataru stimulus budget which amounted to IDR 387.53 billion. In percentage terms, this represents an increase of around 128 percent.

Deputy Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Drajad Hari Wibowo stated that this budget increase follows directives from President Prabowo Subianto to ease public mobility while driving national economic growth during the fourth quarter of 2026.

"Last year the budget was IDR 387 billion. This year we have allocated IDR 883 billion for the same four transport modes. This means the Christmas and New Year travel stimulus has more than doubled," Drajad stated at the 2026 Nataru Mobility Expo event in Sarinah, Jakarta on Sunday (8/11/2026).

According to data from the Ministry of Transportation, the stimulus covers Air Transportation, railways, sea transport, and ferry crossing services. Of the total budget, approximately IDR 722 billion is allocated for flight incentives, while the remaining IDR 161.4 billion will fund the three other transport modes.

This program is projected to benefit around 3.7 million air passengers, 1.04 million train passengers, 414,000 sea ferry passengers, as well as over 188,000 foot passengers and 467,000 vehicles using crossing services.

Air Fares Expected To Drop By 11–12 Percent

One stimulus measure drawing attention from travellers is the incentive for economy class Domestic Flights.

The government will cover 100% of the 11% VAT component for scheduled commercial domestic economy class air transport services. Additionally, a 50% discount is applied to multiple airport service charges, including passenger handling services, landing fees, aircraft parking and storage charges.

The Ministry of Transportation projects this combined policy will reduce domestic air ticket prices by approximately 11–12 percent. However, the exact discount amount may vary depending on Flight Route, departure schedule, fare components, and seat availability.

These incentives apply for flights operating between 22 December 2026 and 10 January 2027. Ticket purchases under this scheme are already available from 20 October 2026 until 10 January 2027 in accordance with official terms.

30 Percent Discount For Trains And Sea Ferries

For travellers choosing overland travel routes, the government is offering a 30% discount on commercial economy class train tickets for routes across Java and North Sumatra.

This price reduction applies for journeys between 22 December 2026 and 4 January 2027. The program is projected to reach approximately 1.04 million passengers.

Meanwhile, travellers using sea transport will also receive a 30% discount off the base economy fare for all routes operated by state-owned shipping company PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni).

This discount applies for departures between 17 December 2026 and 10 January 2027, with an estimated 414,000 passengers set to receive this benefit.

For inter-island crossing services, the government has waived port service charges for foot passengers, as well as Category II and Category IVA vehicles at 14 designated ports.

This policy, implemented by state ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), will be active between 22 December 2026 and 10 January 2027.

Note that this waiver only applies to port service components, and does not mean full crossing tickets are provided free of charge.

Opportunity To Boost Regional Tourism

The increased transport stimulus budget is expected to deliver wider positive impacts for Indonesia's national Tourism Industry.

More affordable travel costs are likely to encourage the public to visit various destinations, ranging from coastal areas, mountain regions, and tourist towns across all parts of Indonesia.

The Christmas and New Year period also creates opportunities for growth in sports and adventure tourism activities including golf, cycling, trekking, and other outdoor recreation.

As quoted by Antara News Agency, Drajad noted that the Year-End Holiday period is a critical momentum for national economic growth. Benefits will not only be felt in the tourism sector, but also across trade, small industries, craft production and local household businesses.

The government hopes this year's transport stimulus will enable greater public mobility, while simultaneously accelerating economic circulation in the areas people travel to.

With a total allocation of IDR 883.4 billion and projected benefits for approximately 6.14 million transport users, the 2026/2027 Nataru program is expected to act as a key driver for Domestic Tourist travel at the end of this year.