These include Indonesians’ growing interest in travel, Google Trends showing that travel-related searches have increased 39 percent in the past 18 months, while searches for hotels and accommodation jumped 37 percent within the same period.

 Read also: Five hitchhiking tips from an Indonesian traveler

Head of strategic planning of the Tourism Ministry, Ari Prasetyo (left), Travelio CEO Hendry Rusli (second left), Pegipegi CMO Serlina Wijaya (center), Airy marketing vice president Ika Paramita (second right) and Google Indonesia industry manager Zulfi Rahardian during a presentation of Google's latest analysis on Sept. 24 in South Jakarta. (JP/Rafaela Chandra)

Promotions and service-related searches

Between January 2018 and June this year, Google Trends saw a 20 percent rise in searches for online travel agencies (OTA), including Traveloka, tiket.com and Pegipegi.

“The growth was supported by smartphone apps used by Indonesians as many of these OTAs have developed their own apps to facilitate travelers for planning their trip,” Google Indonesia industry manager Zulfi Rahardian said on Sept. 24 in South Jakarta.

Zulfi added that netizens searching for OTAs were mostly looking for promotions, and the rate has increased 38 percent in the last 18 months.

They are also interested in the features and services of these online booking platforms, with search phrases such as “how to check-in on Traveloka”, “how to reschedule on Traveloka”, “how to refund on tiket.com” and “Traveloka pay-later” frequently used.

These searches have increased by 138 percent over the same period, showing that travelers are getting more selective and becoming more aware of refund, reschedule and pay-later facilities.  

Improvement in activities and destinations 

Travelers also seem eager to widen their vacation experiences as Google Trends recorded a 47 percent increase in searches about tourist destinations and activities.

Interestingly, these travelers are mostly seeking destinations nearest to where they are staying. Searches for "nearest mall", “nearest restaurant" and "nearest tourism destinations" among others have multiplied 3.6 times, indicating that local businesses have the opportunity to get involved in tourism.

The grass around Candi Arjuna Temple Dieng surrounded by thin ice during the months of July and August, which are supposed to be the dry season. (Shutterstock/-)

Most-searched tourist sites and parks

Following the growth of searches for tourist destinations, Google has listed the most-searched sites and theme parks in Indonesia.

Dieng Plateau in Central Java’s Wonosobo regency leads the top-10 list of tourist sites. Dieng Plateau is known for the annual ruwatan potong rambut gimbal (dreadlock haircut purification) ritual, which is also part of the Dieng Culture Festival.

Below are the top 10 most-searched tourist destinations:

1. Dieng, Central Java
2. Mount Bromo, East Java
3. Borobudur temple, Central Java
4. Prambanan temple, Yogyakarta
5. Kota Tua, West Jakarta
6. Nusa Penida, Bali
7. Mount Semeru, East Java
8. Mount Ijen, East Java
9. Mount Rinjani, West Nusa Tenggara
10. Garuda Wisnu Kencana monument, Bali

Read also: 'Rambut gimbal' purification ritual draws hundreds to Dieng Plateau

Meanwhile, Ancol Dreamland Park’s Dunia Fantasi (Dufan) in North Jakarta tops the list of top 10 theme parks. The amusement park features various attractions for the entire family.

The top 10 most-searched theme parks in Indonesia are:

1. Dufan, North Jakarta
2. Taman Safari Indonesia, West Java
3. Trans Studio Bandung, West Java
4. Jatim Park 3, East Java
5. Jungleland, West Java
6. Waterboom Lippo Cikarang, West Java
7. SeaWorld, North Jakarta
8. Jatim Park 2, East Java
9. Jatim Park 1, East Java
10. Devoyage Bogor, West Java (mut)