Lombok tourism growth offers job prospects, minister says

Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said increased tourism on Lombok could open up employment opportunities for local residents, including graduates of Lombok Tourism Polytechnic. Speaking after the institution’s graduation ceremony in Central Lombok, she called for workforce preparation so communities could benefit economically.

Widiyanti put foreign arrivals to Lombok, including Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, at 452,367 for the first half of 2026, an increase of 9.3 per cent year-on-year. Domestic trips to the region totalled 10.88 million over that period, rising 66.3 per cent.

She urged tourism workers from West Nusa Tenggara to consider careers and businesses within the province, rather than only looking for work elsewhere. Foreign-language ability, digital capabilities and qualifications recognised by the industry were important for competing in the sector, she said.

The ceremony recognised 316 graduates: 88 from Travel Business, 76 from Room Division, 86 from Culinary Arts and 66 from Food and Beverage Service. Widiyanti also encouraged them to help develop Muslim-friendly tourism, citing Indonesia’s second-place ranking in the 2026 Global Muslim Travel Index and West Nusa Tenggara’s third-place position among 15 provinces in the 2026 Indonesia Muslim Travel Index.

Nationally, Widiyanti reported 12.01 million foreign arrivals during January–September 2026, a year-on-year gain of 5.01 per cent. Domestic trips across Indonesia increased 4.10 per cent to 938.84 million.