The Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) 2026 is positioning itself as a marketplace to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian tourism through product readiness, industry quality and market confidence.
Speaking at the opening of BBTF 2026 Travex on May 29, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Indonesia’s minister of tourism, said the event was more than an exhibition, describing it as a business platform designed to connect local stories with market-ready tourism products.
“BBTF is where Indonesia transforms beauty into travel business destinations, culture into experiences, and promotion into real market opportunities,” she said, highlighting tourism’s role in economic growth and job creation.
This year’s event has brought together 407 buyers from 44 countries and 286 sellers from Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Namibia.
Bali remains a key driver of Indonesia’s tourism growth, recording 6.95 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, up 9.7 per cent year on year. The island accounted for nearly half of Indonesia’s international arrivals.
However, Widiyanti stressed that Bali’s position should also help drive travel to other parts of the country. Under the “Bali and Beyond” banner, buyers are being encouraged to explore destinations including Lombok, Manado, Jakarta and tourism villages across the archipelago.
She noted that global competition has moved beyond natural attractions alone, with travellers increasingly seeking distinctive and high-quality experiences. As a result, Indonesian tourism businesses need to move beyond generic travel packages.
“The world doesn’t just buy a destination. The world buys a product that is clear, trusted, well-packaged, and ready to deliver the promised experience,” she said.
To support this effort, the ministry is developing Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy as a tourism product and using the fair to showcase tourism villages through a collaboration with Bank Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Heru Hartanto Subolo, director general for Information and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted tourism’s role in Indonesia’s international relations.
Through a network of 131 overseas missions, embassies and consulates, the Ministry is working to build cross-border trust and position Indonesia as a stable and credible tourism partner in South-east Asia.
Putu Winastra, chairman of the BBTF 2026 organising committee, said the event’s business sessions and post-tour programmes play an important role in encouraging longer stays and generating benefits for local communities.
“Quality tourism does not mean exclusive tourism. Quality tourism means tourism that creates higher value, better experiences, and stronger benefits for local communities,” he said.
