Indonesia puts gastronomy at the heart of its tourism strategy - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Indonesia is stepping up efforts to establish gastronomy as a core element of its international tourism positioning. Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026 is taking place in Solo and Yogyakarta from 26 September to 4 October, combining culinary experiences, cultural heritage, local producers and international media activities under the theme “From Local Roots to Global Recognition.”

The initiative goes beyond promoting individual dishes. Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism wants to present food as a way for travellers to engage with local communities, agriculture, history and regional identities. Across an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, culinary traditions have developed from different landscapes, ingredients and cultural influences, supported by networks of farmers, fishermen, artisans, producers and restaurateurs.

“We hope that in the long term, gastronomy can become one of the main pillars of Indonesia's tourism marketing, not merely as a complement to travel, but as one of the reasons travellers choose Indonesia as their destination,” says Hafiz Agung Rifai, Acting Deputy for Events' Organizer Development at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism.

Solo and Yogyakarta take centre stage

For its 2026 edition, WIG is hosting 18 international media representatives and tastemakers on a journey through the culinary landscapes of Solo and Yogyakarta. Participants include representatives associated with Forbes Travel Guide, La Liste, The World’s 50 Best and CNN International.

The programme combines high-end gastronomy with experiences rooted in everyday culinary culture. One of the centrepieces is a Royal Heritage Dinner at Pura Mangkunegaran in Solo, linking food with the traditions of the historic royal complex.

In Yogyakarta, WIG Talks and the WIG Artisan Market are being held at the Grand Hotel De Djokja from 2 to 4 October. The market brings together 21 local producers alongside workshops and tastings, with organisers expecting up to 1,300 visitors.

Free walking tours with Jogja Good Guide add another perspective. Rather than separating gastronomy from the destination itself, the tours lead visitors through Yogyakarta’s streets and introduce them to culinary traditions in the places where they continue to form part of daily life.

Local producers meet international audiences

The focus on producers reflects a broader approach to gastronomy tourism. Indonesia is seeking to make the people behind its food part of the visitor experience, from farmers and fishermen to artisans, chefs and small entrepreneurs.

The strategy also has an economic dimension. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the inaugural WIG in 2025 resulted in 38 international media stories with an estimated media value of IDR 16.5 billion.

Its Artisan Food Market brought together 25 local food and beverage businesses, attracted more than 600 visitors and generated an estimated IDR 1.01 billion in business opportunities. The 2026 edition aims to exceed those results while increasing international exposure for Indonesian culinary products and destinations.

By connecting gastronomy with cultural heritage, local sourcing and destination experiences, Indonesia is positioning food as more than an additional component of a holiday. The longer-term objective is to make culinary discovery part of the motivation for choosing the country in the first place – and to encourage travellers to look beyond Indonesia’s best-known tourism destinations and explore the stories behind what they eat.

Image Credit: © AI generated illustration with material courtesy of Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia