Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry and sovereign investment agency Danantara have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen tourism development, including destinations, infrastructure, investment and marketing.Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana and Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani signed the agreement at Danantara’s office in Jakarta on Wednesday.“Signing this memorandum of understanding reflects a strong spirit of collaboration and a shared vision to promote higher-quality, more competitive and sustainable tourism in Indonesia,” Widiyanti said in a ministry statement.The cooperation covers the exchange of tourism development data and information, tourism workforce capacity building, and the development of destinations and tourism facilities and infrastructure.It also includes developing special-interest tourism products, strengthening the tourism industry and investment, domestic and international marketing, and organizing tourism events.Widiyanti said tourism could drive investment, create jobs and generate economic value across regions.Indonesia’s tourism sector generated US$18.27 billion in foreign exchange in 2025, equivalent to about Rp305.4 trillion, and contributed to employment for 25.91 million people.International tourist arrivals rose 5.71 percent in January-June 2026 from the same period a year earlier, according to the government.“These achievements show the resilience of Indonesia’s tourism sector, which continues to grow and make a tangible contribution to the national economy amid geopolitical dynamics,” Widiyanti said.She said stronger cooperation with Danantara would help accelerate tourism development, with the agency’s financing and investment capacity playing a strategic role in developing destinations, infrastructure and the tourism investment ecosystem.“We hope this spirit of collaboration can be maintained so that every cooperation opportunity can be developed productively, sustainably and accountably,” she said.Rosan said tourism was a sector that could be developed rapidly and generate significant multiplier effects across industries.He described the partnership with the Tourism Ministry as a strategic step to strengthen the tourism business sector.Rosan said the cooperation could include developing hotels under state tourism holding company InJourney to improve visitor comfort and encourage tourists to stay longer at destinations.The two sides could also organize events to attract tourists and increase economic activity in the tourism sector, he said.“So it is not only about quantity, but also about tourists staying longer and spending more, thereby creating a significant impact on the economy, not only in the regions but also nationally,” Rosan said.