The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has announced that Indonesia ranks 22nd globally and 2nd in ASEAN in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) by the World Economic Forum (WEF), surpassing Malaysia and Thailand. “We appreciate and are grateful that our position is now 22nd globally,” stated Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno at the TTDI 2024 Ranking Appreciation event in Jakarta. The 2024 TTDI by the WEF places Malaysia at 35th globally and Thailand at 47th, while Singapore is ranked 13th globally, making it the highest-ranked country in ASEAN. The event also featured former Tourism Minister (2014-2019) Arief Yahya, who expressed his appreciation for Indonesia’s achievements, repeatedly highlighting Indonesia's success in surpassing Malaysia and Thailand.
In 2013, Indonesia was ranked 70th out of 120 countries, trailing behind Singapore (10th), Malaysia (34th), and Thailand (43rd). Yahya mentioned that back then, Indonesia aimed to surpass Malaysia and Thailand. Now, Yahya feels satisfied with Indonesia's achievement on the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024, having soared to 22nd place, overtaking Malaysia and Thailand. “The gratifying part is that we (Indonesia) are above Malaysia. Also above Thailand. Malaysia is ranked 35th, Thailand is ranked 47th,” said Yahya. He emphasized that this achievement represents the highest legacy for the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. Yahya revealed that his initial ambition was merely for Indonesia to break into the top 30 rankings. “My ambition was actually only to reach the 30th rank. So, ranking 22nd is beyond my expectation. This is a legacy, perhaps the highest one,” Yahya remarked.
