Tourism Growth, KAI’s Panoramic Train Gains Popularity Among Tourists

Indonesia’s growing tourism sector is creating more opportunities for rail travel to become part of the overall tourism experience. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia recorded 10,578,286 international tourist visits from January to August 2026, up 5.38% from the same period in 2025. In August 2026 alone, international tourist visits reached 1.60 million, while domestic tourist trips totaled 104.30 million.

Amid this growth, KAI’s Panoramic Train is gaining popularity among tourists. From January to August 2026, the service served 140,583 customers, up 62.86% from 86,322 customers during the same period in 2025. This represents an increase of 54,261 customers during the first eight months of 2026.

KAI’s Vice President of Corporate Communication, Anne Purba, sees this growth as an opportunity for rail travel to become part of the tourism experience from the very beginning of the journey. With more than 10.5 million international tourist visits recorded through August 2026 and Panoramic Train customers growing by 62.86%, she said there is significant room for rail travel to offer more than transportation to a destination and become part of the tourism experience itself.

This experience is supported by the Panoramic Train’s wide windows and glass roof, allowing customers to enjoy the scenery throughout their journey. As interest in more immersive travel experiences continues to grow, KAI is also expanding its premium travel options.

One of them is Nusantara Explorer, launched on September 28, 2026. The train was developed by KAI personnel at Balai Yasa Surabaya Gubeng and features Signature Class, Advanced Class, Compact Class, Grand Restaurant, Lounge, and Kitchen & Crew.

Nusantara Explorer is designed to offer a more complete travel experience by combining private spaces, culinary experiences, premium services, and elements of Indonesian identity in one train formation. Anne explained that while the Panoramic Train allows customers to enjoy landscapes throughout their journey, Nusantara Explorer takes the experience further by bringing together travel, private spaces, culinary experiences, and premium services in a single trainset.

The growing interest in tourism-oriented services is also reflected in the performance of KAI Wisata. From January to August 2026, KAI Wisata served 216,980 customers, up 49.09% from 145,537 customers during the same period in 2025.

KAI Wisata offers various services, including Priority, Imperial, Kereta Istimewa, Kereta Bali, Kereta Sumatera, Kereta Toraja, Kereta Jawa, Kereta Nusantara, KAIS 3, and KAIS 4, including special and charter services.

Tourist travel using KAI services is also increasingly coming from international visitors. From January to August 2026, 760,601 foreign nationals used KAI Group services. The figure comprised 498,232 customers on KAI Long-Distance and Local Train services and 262,369 customers on Whoosh.

For KAI’s train services, the highest international customer activity was recorded at Yogyakarta Station with 93,189 customers, followed by Gambir Station with 84,011 customers and Bandung Station with 45,400 customers.

According to Anne, the growing number of intercity trips among tourists also creates an opportunity to turn travel time into part of the overall experience. The strong market response to the Panoramic Train shows that the journey itself can become an experience, while Nusantara Explorer expands the options for premium and personalized travel experiences for tourists.

Overall, KAI Group recorded 351,602,397 customers from January to August 2026, an increase of 7.09% compared with the same period last year. The growth reflects increasingly diverse mobility needs, including tourism.

With Indonesia’s diverse landscapes, culture, culinary offerings, and destinations, KAI aims to make rail travel an increasingly attractive part of exploring the country. Through the Panoramic Train and Nusantara Explorer, KAI continues to offer travel experiences that allow customers to start enjoying their journey even before reaching their destination.