The Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora), Erick Thohir, is working to shift the public and stakeholders' paradigm regarding the world of sports. According to him, sports have often been viewed as a cost center, whereas this sector holds immense potential as a source of state revenue and a means to strengthen national branding.
Erick emphasized that sports tourism is one of the main instruments that must be optimized. With a global market value reaching US$ 625 billion or equivalent to IDR 9,800 trillion and an annual growth rate of around 8 percent, this sector is believed to be capable of supporting the national economic growth target set by the President.
Hosting various sporting events, from marathons to international motorcycle races like MotoGP in Mandalika, has proven to generate a multiplier effect for local economies. Tangible impacts are seen in increased hotel occupancy rates, the growth of the culinary sector, and investments in surrounding tourist areas. For instance, the economic turnover from the MotoGP event in Indonesia alone has reached IDR 4.9 trillion.
In addition to sports tourism, the Minister of Youth and Sports also highlighted the importance of developing domestic professional sports leagues. Currently, the sports league ecosystem in Indonesia remains limited to football, basketball, and volleyball. Erick hopes Indonesia can adopt sports industry models like that of the United States, which successfully manages various world-class professional leagues as massive economic drivers.
Moving forward, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is committed to continuously synchronizing cross-sector policies to maximize Indonesia's natural resource potential, such as surfing and mountain climbing, into world-class sports tourism products. This step is expected to make the sports industry a sustainable engine for national economic growth through 2032.
