JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has called on Indonesia’s tourism industry to use technology to attract global visitors. Gibran urged stakeholders to deliver greater economic benefits to communities around tourist destinations.

Gibran delivered the message as keynote speaker at the Trisakti Institute of Tourism graduation ceremony. The Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel in South Jakarta hosted the event on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The ceremony marked the graduation of 669 students from doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and applied bachelor’s programs. Gibran told the graduates that Indonesia needed to combine its natural and cultural assets with digital innovation to develop high-quality tourism.

“What we need to consider now is how technology can create added value for our tourism, how technology can increase direct benefits for communities and how technology can help the world discover Indonesia’s beauty. We want to create high-quality tourism,” Gibran said, according to the Vice Presidential Secretariat.

Technology can support tourism operators by expanding destination marketing and improving access to services. However, Gibran said tourism development should also involve farmers, small businesses and residents in local supply chains.

He cited Plataran Bromo in East Java as an example of a tourism business working with its surrounding community. The hotel sources restaurant ingredients from nearby farmers and involves local small businesses in Mount Bromo jeep tours. It also works with members of the Tengger community on educational tourism programs.

“I appreciate how they cooperate with local farmers as suppliers of restaurant ingredients, local MSMEs as vendors for Mount Bromo jeep tours and indigenous communities in educational tourism about the Tengger people,” Gibran said.

He added that the presence of a large company should not replace or weaken local businesses. Rather, it should instead improve their capacity and market reach.

The remarks came as Indonesia continued to record growth in visitor numbers. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported 1.60 million international tourist arrivals in August 2026, an increase of 6.27 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, domestic travelers made 104.30 million trips during the same month. This was up 11.47 percent year-on-year.

Tourism also made a direct contribution of 4.78 percent to Indonesia’s gross domestic product in 2025. This was equivalent to approximately Rp1.14 quadrillion, according to Tourism Satellite Account data published by the Tourism Ministry.

Gibran also described tourism as part of Indonesia’s soft power. This is because destinations and creative industries can introduce the country’s culture to international audiences.

“Tourism is one of the important instruments of Indonesia’s soft power,” he said. “Soft power is a nation’s ability to make itself loved by the world.”

His address placed the responsibility on tourism graduates to connect technological skills with sustainable business practices. Gibran argued that Indonesia should measure tourism growth not only by visitor numbers but also by how much economic value reaches communities around its destinations.