Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism is currently drafting and strengthening a joint cross-sectoral strategy to develop health tourism in the country.”Now is the time to strengthen collaboration between the tourism and healthcare industries to realise a mutually supportive ecosystem,” the Ministry's Acting Deputy for Industry and Investment, Rizki Handayani, said in a statement on Friday.Discussions on this strategy were held with the Ministry of Health, the Jakarta Provincial Health Office, the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office, the Indonesian Private Hospital Association (ARSSI), the Indonesian Hospital Association (PERSI), and hospital representatives at a meeting held in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 22).Handayani noted public demand for healthcare services continues to grow, expanding beyond curative care to include promotive, preventive, and wellness services.Growing public interest in wellness tourism, particularly among domestic travelers, presents Indonesia with an opportunity to develop the sector into a leading tourism product.As an initial step, the Ministry of Tourism, along with related stakeholders, have mapped potential hospitals for medical tourism destinations.Eighteen hospitals, consisting of 15 in the Greater Jakarta area and three in Bali, have been designated as pilot projects. They are Pondok Indah Hospital, Hermina Kemayoran Hospital, BIMC Nusa Dua Hospital, Mayapada Lebak Bulus Hospital, Siloam Semanggi Hospital, Pondok Indah Bintaro Hospital, and Siloam Karawaci Hospital.Those hospitals will also be included in a medical tourism catalog currently being compiled by the Ministry of Tourism, targeted for completion by October 2026, as a promotional tool for Indonesian medical tourism services.According to Handayani, each hospital will undergo a comprehensive mapping process, from developing a profile of its flagship services to calculating estimated medical tourism packages.The Ministry of Tourism, along with the Ministry of Health, will then conduct a field survey to establish the parameters for each hospital's center of excellence.The development of medical tourism will extend beyond healthcare facilities to encompass an integrated ecosystem involving various tourism stakeholders.The initiative will involve collaboration with hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, patient-friendly transportation providers, including wheelchair-accessible services, as well as domestic and international insurance companies.”This is part of the effort to build an integrated medical tourism ecosystem through collaboration between healthcare facilities, tourism businesses, and various relevant stakeholders,” Handayani pointed.Meanwhile, Director of Referral Healthcare Services Development at the Ministry of Health, Yanti Herman, said hospitals selected for the pilot project will conduct self-assessments to evaluate their readiness in developing medical tourism services and strengthen patient-centered care.Hospitals which meet the requirements and commit to developing medical tourism will receive government support, including promotional assistance, training and mentoring to meet international service standards, as well as fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.