At the 37th Joint Meeting of the UN Tourism Commissions for East Asia, the Pacific, and South Asia in Jakarta, Indonesia's Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, highlighted how green investment and the circular economy can significantly advance sustainable tourism. She emphasized tourism’s broader contributions—generating jobs, promoting cultural exchange, and driving global collaboration—while noting Asia-Pacific’s position as a global leader in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). From 2018 to 2024, the region secured 642 greenfield tourism-related FDI projects worth USD 66.4 billion, reinforcing the need for strategic alignment between capital inflows and long-term sustainability goals.
Widiyanti advocated for a shift from traditional linear models to circular frameworks that reduce waste, promote recycling, and embed sustainability across the tourism value chain. This approach, she noted, is especially powerful for the diverse and rapidly developing countries of East and South Asia. The conference also saw the launch of Tourism Doing Business: Investing in Indonesia, the first investment guide of its kind in Asia-Pacific, developed by UN Tourism to support investors in identifying opportunities and navigating Indonesia’s booming tourism sector. UN Tourism leaders underlined the guide's value as a practical tool combining economic insights and investment promotion strategies. The event served not only to inspire new policy ideas and cross-border collaboration but also to reaffirm the region’s commitment to building a tourism sector that is resilient, inclusive, and future-focused.
