ASEAN and South Korea target more than 20 million tourist exchanges
Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry says easier travel and better tourism services will support the increase from 13 million two-way exchanges.
ASEAN member states and South Korea aim to lift two-way tourist exchanges above 20 million from 13 million, according to Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry. Their cooperation will seek to ease travel and improve tourism services around the region.
At the 2026 ASEAN-Korea Roundtable in Tourism in Jakarta, Martini M. Paham, the ministry’s deputy for human resources and institutions, said partners were turning their attention to practical results. The work includes trials of joint initiatives, common approaches to regional service standards and digital tools covering each stage of a tourist’s journey.
Martini said the two-day meeting addressed safer and easier travel, systems for overcoming travel barriers, tourism workforce development and greater understanding of cultural diversity. Technical working groups will turn the resulting policy recommendations into institutional measures.
The roundtable forms part of the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement Economic Cooperation Initiative. It builds on the first gathering in Da Nang, Vietnam, where participants established a baseline assessment, exchanged policy views and identified obstacles to tourist mobility.
The exchange target also aligns with Indonesia’s pursuit of sustainable, inclusive tourism of a high standard under its 2025-2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan and Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. A November 7 visit to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is included in the programme to introduce participants to the country’s cultural diversity.
