August 20, 2025 | 11:37 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian city of Yogyakarta is seeking more foreign arrivals this year, especially from China. As part of the efforts to achieve these goals, Yogyakarta is initiating cooperation with Chinese airlines.
Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta, Wawan Hermawan, said the government is exploring the initiative. "We are currently initiating cooperation with Chinese airlines such as Hainan Airlines and Long Air to open direct flight routes from Yogyakarta," said Wawan Hermawan on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
The Yogyakarta City Government has also held meetings with several flight service operators in Yogyakarta earlier this week through the Business Matching Travel 2025 forum.
Yogyakarta Has Not Yet Become Major Destination
Wawan explained that foreign tourists from Asia, such as China, have great potential to enter Indonesia, but most have yet to make Yogyakarta their main destination. Foreign tourists often go directly to Bali, and only then will they explore more destinations across Indonesia.
"Through direct flights from China to Yogyakarta, we are hoping these tourists can make Yogyakarta their main destination before going to Bali," he said.
Director of Shintian Jaya Aviation, Emerson Lo Vun Zet, a strategic partner in exploring these cooperations, mentioned that direct flights are sustainable if they operate at least three times a week.
With a narrow-body aircraft with about 160-seat capacity, the potential tourist mobility per week is targeted to reach nearly 500 people. "To achieve this within two years could mean a significant economic impact," he added.
Higher Spending by Foreign Tourists
The Head of the Yogyakarta City Tourism Office, Wahyu Hendratmoko, revealed why the city is targeting the arrivals of more foreign tourists. Data from the Yogyakarta City Tourism Office shows that the average length of stay and expenditure level of foreign tourists is three to four times higher than domestic tourists.
"The spending of foreign tourists in Yogyakarta in 2024 was around Rp11 million per person, while domestic tourists only spent about Rp2.3 million. If inbound tourism increases, the potential economic turnover could reach tens of billions of rupiah," he said.
But foreign arrivals in Yogyakarta, based on Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, have dropped 23.78 percent from January to May 2025, compared to the same period last year.
Direct Flights for Umrah Pilgrims
Not only foreign tourists from China, Wahyu explained, Yogyakarta is also working to open direct flights for Umrah pilgrims bound for Jeddah.
Because to date, Umrah pilgrims from Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas had to transit in Jakarta before departing to the Holy Land.
Through cooperation with Chinese airlines, it is hoped that flights can be made directly from Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) with a transit in China before heading to Jeddah.
This scheme is believed to streamline travel costs, as pilgrims no longer need to bear the additional cost of staying in Jakarta. "The potential for Umrah pilgrims from Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas, including the southern part of Central Java, is huge," he said. He mentioned that the Umrah market could reach more than 20 million people per year.
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