The Impact of the Internet on Tourism in Remote Areas of Indonesia

The Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) conducted a survey on the impact of internet access on tourism development in underdeveloped regions.

The results showed that 48.30% of respondents in underdeveloped areas believed that the internet had helped improve the promotion and accessibility of local tourism destinations.

However, 25% of respondents felt that challenges remained in optimizing internet use for the tourism sector.

Furthermore, 11.70% felt the internet had no significant impact on tourism in underdeveloped areas, 10% were unsure of its significant impact, and 5% gave other responses.

This survey also found that a majority, or 54.2% of respondents in underdeveloped areas, stated there was no significant increase in tourism, despite their area having internet access.

Only 25.8% of respondents assessed a significant increase in tourist visits and income for local tourism businesses.

Meanwhile, 18.3% noted an increase, but not significant, while 1.7% saw a negative impact and a decrease in tourist visits in their area after gaining internet access.

The APJII survey involved 1,950 respondents from 64 underdeveloped districts spread across 17 provinces.

According to Regulation of the Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Permendes-PDTT) Number 11 of 2020, an "underdeveloped region" is a district whose territory and community are less developed than other regions on a national scale.

The survey was conducted from July to September 2024 through face-to-face and telephone interviews.

59.23% of respondents were male and 40.77% were female. Respondents were dominated by millennials aged 28-43 years (40.10%), followed by Generation Z aged 12-27 years (34.36%), and Generation X aged 44-59 years (6.05%).