37TH REUNION SSEAYP ASEAN–JAPAN DI LOMBOK, SEPTEMBER 2026: STRATEGI MENINGKATKAN WISATAWAN MANCANEGARA DAN TOURISM VALUE INDONESIA TAHUN 2027 MELALUI KOLABORASI ASEAN–JEPANG
Oleh JS Budi
Pelaksanaan 37th Reunion Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) ASEAN–Japan di Lombok pada September 2026 memiliki nilai strategis bagi pengembangan diplomasi pariwisata Indonesia. SSEAYP bukan sekadar forum pertemuan generasi muda, tetapi merupakan platform internasional yang dibangun Jepang bersama negara-negara Asia Tenggara untuk memperkuat persahabatan, mutual understanding, kepemimpinan, dan kerja sama internasional. Saat ini, pada 2026, program SSEAYP-INTERNATIONAL melibatkan 11 negara dan 169 Participating Youths, yang menunjukkan besarnya potensi jejaring sosial dan diplomatik yang dapat dikonversi menjadi tourism network.
Urgensi strategi tersebut semakin kuat apabila dilihat dari perkembangan kinerja pariwisata Indonesia. Data BPS menunjukkan bahwa kunjungan wisatawan mancanegara pada September 2025 mencapai 1,39 juta kunjungan, meningkat 9,04% dibandingkan September 2024. Secara kumulatif Januari–September 2025, kunjungan wisman mencapai 11,43 juta, meningkat 10,22% dibandingkan periode yang sama tahun sebelumnya. Pada periode yang sama, rata-rata pengeluaran wisatawan mancanegara mencapai US$1.297,31 per kunjungan, dengan rata-rata lama tinggal 10,7 malam. Data tersebut memperlihatkan bahwa indikator keberhasilan pariwisata tidak cukup hanya menggunakan tourist arrivals, tetapi harus mempertimbangkan length of stay dan tourist expenditure sebagai bagian dari tourism value.
Dalam perspektif pembangunan pariwisata berkelanjutan, keberadaan 37th Reunion SSEAYP di Lombok dapat dikembangkan sebagai strategic tourism diplomacy platform. Lombok tidak hanya diposisikan sebagai lokasi kegiatan, tetapi sebagai gateway destination untuk memperkenalkan kekayaan budaya, alam, kuliner, ekonomi kreatif, dan masyarakat lokal Indonesia kepada jejaring ASEAN–Jepang. Pendekatan tersebut dapat diperkuat melalui experiential tourism, cultural exchange, educational tourism, MICE tourism, community-based tourism, serta pemasaran digital yang melibatkan alumni SSEAYP sebagai destination advocate.
Secara strategis, kegiatan September 2026 harus menghasilkan post-event tourism activation sepanjang 2027. Jejaring SSEAYP dapat diarahkan untuk membangun paket ASEAN–Japan–Indonesia Tourism Corridor, misalnya mengintegrasikan Lombok dengan Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Labuan Bajo, dan destinasi prioritas lainnya. Kolaborasi dengan maskapai, travel agent, hotel, perguruan tinggi, pemerintah daerah, industri kreatif, dan komunitas lokal diperlukan untuk mengubah hubungan sosial-diplomatik menjadi transaksi ekonomi pariwisata yang berkelanjutan.
Indikator keberhasilan 2027 dapat dirancang melalui pendekatan Key Performance Indicators (KPI), yaitu: pertama, pertumbuhan kunjungan wisatawan ASEAN dan Jepang dibandingkan baseline 2026; kedua, peningkatan rata-rata lama tinggal; ketiga, peningkatan rata-rata pengeluaran wisatawan; keempat, peningkatan tourism receipts; kelima, terbentuknya minimal beberapa kemitraan bisnis dan institusional ASEAN–Jepang–Indonesia; keenam, terselenggaranya promosi pariwisata lanjutan berbasis jejaring SSEAYP; ketujuh, peningkatan digital engagement dan destination awareness Lombok; serta kedelapan, meningkatnya keterlibatan UMKM dan masyarakat lokal dalam rantai nilai pariwisata.
Dengan demikian, 37th Reunion SSEAYP ASEAN–Japan di Lombok harus diposisikan bukan sebagai one-off event, tetapi sebagai legacy tourism program. Keberhasilannya pada 2027 seharusnya diukur dari kemampuan Indonesia mengubah international networking menjadi peningkatan kunjungan, lama tinggal, pengeluaran wisatawan, investasi, business partnership, serta manfaat ekonomi masyarakat. Dengan strategi tersebut, ASEAN–Jepang dapat menjadi strategic partner dalam memperkuat daya saing dan value creation pariwisata Indonesia menuju ekosistem pariwisata yang lebih berkualitas, inklusif, dan berkelanjutan.
Foto: Dr. Lily Harahap (IPY 89), JS Budi (IPY 89), Cik Mansoor (National Leader of Malaysia), Ito Chan (Chaiman)
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37TH REUNION SSEAYP ASEAN–JAPAN IN LOMBOK, SEPTEMBER 2026: A STRATEGY TO INCREASE INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ARRIVALS AND INDONESIA’S TOURISM VALUE IN 2027 THROUGH ASEAN–JAPAN COLLABORATION
The 37th Reunion of the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) ASEAN–Japan in Lombok in September 2026 holds significant strategic value for the development of Indonesia’s tourism diplomacy. SSEAYP is not merely a forum for youth gatherings; it is an international platform established by Japan in collaboration with Southeast Asian countries to strengthen friendship, mutual understanding, leadership, and international cooperation. In 2026, SSEAYP-International involves 11 countries and 169 Participating Youths, demonstrating the substantial potential of its social and diplomatic networks to be transformed into a strategic tourism network.
The urgency of this strategy becomes even more evident when viewed against the performance of Indonesia’s tourism sector. Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) indicate that international tourist arrivals in September 2025 reached 1.39 million visits, representing an increase of 9.04% compared with September 2024. Cumulatively, from January to September 2025, international tourist arrivals reached 11.43 million, an increase of 10.22% compared with the same period of the previous year. During the same period, the average expenditure of international tourists reached US$1,297.31 per visit, while the average length of stay was 10.7 nights. These figures demonstrate that tourism performance should not be assessed solely through tourist arrivals, but should also incorporate length of stay and tourist expenditure as essential components of overall tourism value.
From the perspective of sustainable tourism development, the presence of the 37th Reunion SSEAYP in Lombok can be developed as a strategic tourism diplomacy platform. Lombok should not merely be positioned as the venue for the event, but also as a gateway destination through which Indonesia can showcase its cultural heritage, natural attractions, culinary resources, creative economy, and local communities to ASEAN–Japan networks. This approach can be strengthened through experiential tourism, cultural exchange, educational tourism, MICE tourism, community-based tourism, and digital marketing strategies involving SSEAYP alumni as destination advocates.
Strategically, the September 2026 event should generate a sustained post-event tourism activation throughout 2027. The SSEAYP network could be developed into an ASEAN–Japan–Indonesia Tourism Corridor, integrating Lombok with Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Labuan Bajo, and other priority destinations. Collaboration among airlines, travel agents, hotels, higher education institutions, local governments, creative industries, and local communities is essential to transform social and diplomatic relationships into sustainable tourism-related economic transactions.
The 2027 success indicators can be designed through a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) framework, including: first, the growth of tourist arrivals from ASEAN countries and Japan compared with the 2026 baseline; second, an increase in the average length of stay; third, an increase in average tourist expenditure; fourth, growth in tourism receipts; fifth, the establishment of new ASEAN–Japan–Indonesia business and institutional partnerships; sixth, the implementation of continued tourism promotion programs through SSEAYP networks; seventh, increased digital engagement and destination awareness of Lombok; and eighth, greater participation of MSMEs and local communities within the tourism value chain.
Therefore, the 37th Reunion SSEAYP ASEAN–Japan in Lombok should be positioned not as a one-off event, but as a legacy tourism program. Its success in 2027 should be measured by Indonesia’s ability to transform international networking into increased tourist arrivals, longer stays, higher tourist expenditure, investment, business partnerships, and tangible economic benefits for local communities. Through this strategy, ASEAN–Japan can become a strategic partner in strengthening Indonesia’s tourism competitiveness and value creation, while contributing to the development of a tourism ecosystem that is more high-value, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
