Over 760,000 Foreign Passengers Travel with KAI Group as Intercity Tourism Continues to Expand Through August 2026

Indonesia’s tourism growth continued through August 2026. Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded 10,578,286 foreign tourist arrivals from January to August 2026, marking an increase of approximately 5.38 percent compared to 10,037,876 arrivals in the same period in 2025. In August 2026 alone, international tourist arrivals reached 1.60 million visits.

Upon arriving in Indonesia, many tourists continue their journeys to various cities using rail-based transportation. Between January and August 2026, a total of 760,601 foreign nationals utilized KAI Group services, comprising 498,232 long-distance and local train passengers managed by KAI and 262,369 Whoosh passengers.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication, Anne Purba, stated that national tourism growth has unlocked increasingly diverse intercity travel patterns for international tourists.

“More than 760,000 foreign nationals used KAI Group services through August 2026. This figure demonstrates that after arriving in Indonesia, tourists continue their journeys to various cities via conventional trains and Whoosh. This mobility forms an integral part of their travel experience as they explore destinations across Indonesia,” said Anne.

For KAI’s long-distance and local train services, foreign passengers reached 498,232 from January to August 2026, a 3.83 percent increase compared to 479,861 passengers during the same period in 2025.

This achievement represents the highest figure recorded in the past five years for the January–August period. Over the same timeframe, KAI served 170,094 foreign passengers in 2022, rising to 383,732 in 2023, 447,655 in 2024, 479,861 in 2025, and reaching 498,232 in 2026.

Compared to January–August 2022, the number of foreign passengers in 2026 grew by 328,138 passengers, or 192.92 percent. Consequently, the volume has nearly tripled over a four-year period.

“The growth over the past few years is unmistakable. From approximately 170,000 foreign passengers in the first eight months of 2022, the figure is now approaching half a million. This indicates that trains are increasingly becoming a preferred choice for foreign tourists traveling from city to city,” Anne noted.

On an annual basis, KAI served 300,708 foreign passengers in 2022, 580,995 in 2023, 669,226 in 2024, and 694,123 in 2025, with 2025 recording the highest annual volume within that timeframe.

Yogyakarta Records Highest Foreign Tourist Activity

KAI data also highlights the primary destinations of international travelers. From January to August 2026, Yogyakarta Station recorded the highest level of foreign passenger activity with 93,189 travelers, followed by Gambir (84,011), Bandung (45,400), Pasarsenen (25,080), and Surabaya Gubeng (24,543).

These were followed by Semarang Tawang with 18,032 passengers, Malang (17,391), Probolinggo (12,148), Surabaya Pasar Turi (11,491), and Solo Balapan (10,158).

This distribution illustrates that foreign travelers move across cities with diverse tourism characteristics. Jakarta serves as a key gateway, followed by high activity across Bandung, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, Surabaya, Malang, and Probolinggo.

This movement coincides with an increasingly diverse origin of tourists entering Indonesia. In August 2026, BPS recorded year-on-year growth in foreign tourist arrivals compared to August 2025 from Africa (up 14.78 percent), ASEAN (10.40 percent), Oceania (7.95 percent), the Americas (7.31 percent), Asia excluding ASEAN (6.83 percent), and the Middle East (2.86 percent), while arrivals from Europe saw a decline of 3.07 percent.

“National data demonstrates that tourists originate from various regions worldwide, while KAI data reflects how their journeys subsequently spread across multiple cities. This pattern illustrates that intercity transportation plays an increasingly vital role in tourists' itineraries throughout Indonesia,” Anne added.

Growth in foreign passenger numbers for long-distance and local services was already evident in the first half of the year. Throughout the first half of 2026, KAI served 308,874 foreign passengers, up 2.54 percent from 301,219 in the first half of 2025.

Following the first half, foreign passenger volume reached 96,940 in July 2026, marking the highest monthly figure between January and August this year. In August 2026, the volume recorded was 92,418 passengers.

Whoosh Serves 262,000 Foreign Passengers Through August 2026

The mobility of foreign tourists is also reflected in Whoosh high-speed rail services. From January to August 2026, Whoosh served 262,369 foreign passengers.

Since commencing operations in 2023 through August 2026, Whoosh has cumulatively served 944,087 foreign passengers. This breaks down into 28,906 passengers in 2023, 251,525 in 2024, 401,287 in 2025, and 262,369 from January to August 2026.

Because Whoosh began operations in 2023 and its data period differs from that of long-distance and local trains, Whoosh performance metrics are presented based on passenger volume since the inception of the service.

Of the total foreign Whoosh passengers between October 2023 and August 2026, Malaysia represented the largest country of origin with 403,626 passengers, followed by Singapore (113,356), China (81,971), Japan (45,046), and South Korea (30,888).

“On the Jakarta–Bandung corridor, Whoosh offers a travel option with significantly reduced travel time. Meanwhile, through long-distance and local services, tourists can continue their journeys to various cities across Java and Sumatra. This combination of travel options provides tourists with greater flexibility in planning their itineraries while in Indonesia,” Anne said.

This international passenger movement contributes to the high overall mobility across KAI Group services. From January to August 2026, KAI Group served 351,602,397 passengers, reflecting a 7.09 percent increase compared to 328,311,868 passengers during the same period in 2025.

“As Indonesian tourism grows, tourist travel expands across a wider network. KAI Group remains committed to maintaining safe, comfortable, and accessible services to ensure rail-based transportation supports tourist travel to an expanding array of destinations in Indonesia,” Anne concluded.

VP Corporate Communication KAI