INTERVIEW/Taiwan to open tourism office in Indonesia, boost Muslim-friendly travel

Taipei, Dec. 2 (CNA) Taiwan is stepping up efforts to attract Muslim travelers, particularly from Indonesia, with plans to open a tourism office in Jakarta next year as the country seeks to tap into one of the world's fastest-growing outbound travel markets.

Lin Hsin-jen (林信任), Taiwan's deputy representative in Indonesia, described Indonesia as a market Taiwan can no longer afford to overlook, noting that the country of 280 million is not only "the world's largest Muslim tourism market," but also one of the region's most reliably growing economies.

"For Taiwan, this is our new blue ocean for tourism," Lin told CNA in an interview in Jakarta.

A booming tourism market

Currently, more than 200,000 Indonesians visit Taiwan each year, a number Lin expects to rise as Taiwan increases its on-the-ground presence and promotional efforts.

Taiwan also consistently ranks second or third worldwide in global surveys evaluating Muslim-friendly tourism destinations, he added.

He said he sees strong growth potential in Indonesia's family travel, affluent tourists, corporate incentive trips, and overseas Chinese-learning educational tours, and believes Taiwan's tourism products are well-suited to meet the needs of these travelers.

"Visitors can shop, enjoy mountains and rivers, and experience culture -- all in one place. In this way, Taiwan's tourism products are a perfect match for the Indonesian market," Lin said.

According to Indonesian media reports, outbound travel by Indonesian citizens rose 7.63 percent from January to May 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.

"Taiwan is ready. What we need now is the final push in marketing," Lin said, noting that Taiwan's Tourism Administration is preparing to launch a dedicated tourism office in Jakarta in 2026 to accelerate outreach.

Trade, investment and halal certification

Besides tapping into Indonesia's growing tourism market, Taiwan is also strengthening industrial and trade ties with the Southeast Asian nation, Lu Feng-ching (路豐璟), director of the economic division of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Indonesia (TETO), told CNA.

This year, Taiwan and Indonesia signed a design cooperation agreement aimed at expanding exchanges in exhibitions, professional judging and young designer talent, he said.

The two countries also signed an agreement on Halal promotion, allowing Taiwanese food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals certified by the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association to enter Indonesia without separate certification, Lu said.

This agreement not only promotes trade with Indonesia, but also opens doors to Middle Eastern markets, he said.

Taiwanese businesses are also expanding their footprint across Indonesia, with roughly 2,000 companies active in manufacturing and services. These range from shoe, textile and electronics manufacturing to financial services, telecommunications and transport, according to Lu.

Education ties deepen people-to-people links

Taiwan has also been expanding educational exchanges with Indonesia through scholarships and specialized programs, said Grace Ou (歐淑芬), director of the education division at TETO.

For example, the Taiwan government launched a new initiative in 2023 offering dual-degree programs, where students from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and now Thailand spend two years studying in their home countries and two years in Taiwan, with the goal of enabling them to stay and work in Taiwan after graduation, she said.

Indonesia has recorded the highest enrollment among participating countries, with 460 students, reflecting strong interest in pursuing technical and vocational education under this initiative, Ou said.

TETO Representative Bruce C.J. Hung (洪振榮), meanwhile, highlighted the scale of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, citing roughly 18,000 Indonesian students and more than 300,000 Indonesian workers in Taiwan.

These human connections, he said, form "the foundation of Taiwan-Indonesia relations."