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View all search resultsIndonesia missing out on sports tourism boom as Mandalika extension in limbo
Indonesia is currently capturing only Rp 39.5 trillion, or 0.4 percent, of the estimated Rp 9.5 quadrillion in global sports tourism potential.
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Competitors celebrate on the podium on Sunday after the 2026 Indonesian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Circuit in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). (Youth and Sports Ministry /-)
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ndonesia is struggling to capitalize on the global sports tourism boom, a multibillion-dollar opportunity that countries are increasingly chasing through hosting major sporting events. The latest setback is the uncertain future of MotoGP at the Mandalika circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), raising concerns that the country could lose another high-profile event after the Formula E and F1 Powerboat races were discontinued.
Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said after the race at Mandalika on Oct. 11 that Indonesia had yet to decide whether to extend its MotoGP contract, which expires this year.
Despite a record 157,000 spectators attending the race, he said the decision would depend on President Prabowo Subianto’s direction and an evaluation of the event as the initial five-year contract term draws to a close.
“Hopefully, he will be the one to announce it,” Erick said, while expressing support for continuing the event and claiming it had helped reduce poverty in surrounding areas by nearly 3 percentage points.
Dorna, meanwhile, has indicated that it is ready to continue the partnership, with Deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta saying the company had a five-plus-five-year agreement with the Indonesian government and planned to remain in Mandalika until at least 2031, as quoted by Detik on Oct. 6.
However, Dorna’s commitment does not mean the extension has been formally approved by Indonesia, InJourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) said.
“Dorna has said go, but Indonesia has not. We are the government and a state-owned enterprise [SOE], so we cannot make a unilateral decision,” Troy Reza Warokka, operations director of the state-owned tourism developer, said on Oct. 6, as quoted by RRI.
