Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 06:29 AM

Minister Thohir urges bigger push to tap sport tourism potential

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Khaerul, Kenzu

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said Indonesia's sport tourism potential needs to be optimized, noting the global sport tourism market is valued at Rp9,500 trillion, of which Indonesia has only captured 0.5 percent.

"The sports industry today is worth roughly Rp8,000 trillion, that's an extraordinary figure. If we talk about sport tourism, that reaches Rp9,500 trillion. This is globally," Thohir said here on Wednesday at the launch of the book "MotoGP Mandalika 2025: Economic, Image, and Tourism Acceleration."

Thohir said the existing potential must be maximized properly, as Indonesia currently only captures around Rp39 trillion, or 0.5 percent, putting the country far behind globally.

He said that once this vast potential is tapped, it is believed the country will gain significantly more than it does now.

"Based on the data we see today, we are only at 0.5 percent of the global value, which is roughly Rp39.5 trillion," he said.

Thohir added that the Mandalika Circuit also contributed around Rp5 trillion from last year's MotoGP event.

He explained that sports can also generate extraordinary economic value and represent a promising form of investment.

Thohir noted that founding father President Soekarno had also recognized the potential in sports, as just a few years after independence, the country held the National Sports Week (PON), followed by the Asian Games.

According to him, all of this reflected the nation's investment efforts, as infrastructure built at that time, such as the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) stadium, Hotel Indonesia, Sarinah, the Selamat Datang Monument, and the Semanggi Bridge, can still be enjoyed today.

"That is how we invest. What does that mean? It is not just an investment in national character, but also an investment in the economy. It is still a form of national branding to this day," he added.

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