Bali Strengthens Tourism Ties With France To Improve Europe-Indonesia Connections

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It has been a big week for diplomatic relations in Indonesia. President Prabowo Subianto has received visits from Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and French President Emanuel Macron.

The state visits have seen Indonesia strengthen international connections and establish new commitments to developing tourism that will help boost the overall experience of tourists to the country, including to hotspots like Bali.

On 28th May 2025 Indonesia signed an Memorandum of Understanding with France on culture, with a specific focus on the preservation of cultural heritage, human resource development including in the tourism sector, and the promotion of cultural products between the two nations.

The MoU was signed by Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

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The MoU titled the Indonesia–France Joint Declaration on Cultural Strategy is a series of policies agreed upon by both Macron and Subitano. Minister Zon told reporters, “This MoU serves as an operational framework to implement the cultural vision shared by the two presidents.” Adding “We aim to enhance cultural dialogue between the two nations, particularly by engaging younger generations and contemporary cultural practitioners.”

The new cultural partnership will help bolster cultural heritage in a range of sectors including the creative industries. Minister Zon continued “Through an inclusive approach, we hope to generate both cultural and economic added value for our nations.”

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The state visit from President Macron and French First Lady Brigitte Macron has seen the couple visit a series of Indonesia’s most important cultural landmarks.

In addition to the signing of the Indonesia–France Joint Declaration on Cultural Strategy, the Indonesian Tourism Minister has also been in talks to intensify cooperation within the tourism sectors of the two nations.

Moving forward there will be greater investment in tourism infrastructure in Indonesia with support from France, as well as support in human resource development within the industry. 

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Following the “Joint Vision 2050” discussion, chaired by Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism Widyanti Putri Wardhana on Thursday, the results bilateral meeting were made public. One of the key cultural events that will feature on both the French and Indonesian cultural calendars is Gastronomy Week.

Since 2023 Indonesia has hosted French Gastronomy Week, and moving forward to showcase the finest of Indonesia’s culinary culture in France, Indonesian Gastronomy Week will be hosted annually too. 

Minister Wardhana accompanied First Lady Macron at the former state banquet earlier this week, and guided her through the National Museum in Jakarta and a visit to the world-famous Borobudur Temple in Magelang.

Minister Wardhana told reporters, “Events like these help showcase Indonesia’s cultural diversity to the world. I hope they also support the growth of sustainable tourism in Indonesia.”

Indonesia is committed to ensuring that all available resources are funneled into its tourism sector. With Bali as the country’s flagship destination, leaders are on a mission to help conserve the island’s culture, protect the natural landscape and level up tourism infrastructure for the betterment of both tourists and local communities.

Leveling up infrastructure includes the development of more public transportation, improving the road network and tackling the island’s issues with waste management.

It is not only relations with France that have been strengthened in Indonesia this week, but with China too. While overall European tourist visits to Bali are on the rise, provincial leaders want to help welcome even more tourists from China too.

At present tourists from Australia are the most frequent international arrivals to the island, followed by tourists from China. The latest figures show that 279,040 Chinese nationals visited Indonesia for tourism purposes between January and the end of April 2025.

Following the signing of the Indonesia-China MoU on Sunday 25th May, Tourism Minister Wardhana told reporters, “Through this MoU, we hope to further strengthen bilateral relations and increase the contribution of the tourism sector to the economies of both countries.”