DESMA Center as a Speaker at the Indonesian Thematic Tourism Partner Synergy Forum (SIMPATI) – Wellness Tourism Industry Hosted by the Ministry of Tourism
Author: Communication Unit
Indonesia's wellness tourism industry holds vast potential to drive the growth of health tourism, the creative economy, and the overall quality of life. The diversity of services—ranging from traditional spas and yoga retreats, healthy gastronomy, mental healing, to integrated medical centers and holistic detox programs—offers unique attractions for both international and domestic tourists.
The absence of a standardized national categorization mechanism has resulted in scattered and inaccessible data on the types and capacities of services. This poses challenges in policy formulation, preparing integrated promotional packages, and mapping regional wellness tourism resources. Due to this fragmented data, efforts to strengthen Indonesia as a wellness tourism destination have not yet reached optimal implementation.
In response to these needs and challenges, the Assistant Deputy for Industry Management under the Deputy for Industry and Investment, Ministry of Tourism, organized the “Thematic Tourism Partner Synergy Forum (SIMPATI) – Wellness Tourism Industry” in Ubud, Bali on July 16, 2025.
With the theme “Synergy for Strengthening Governance of Indonesia’s Wellness Tourism Industry,” the forum brought together wellness tourism business actors in Bali.
DESMA Center acted as a resource speaker, delivering a presentation on the categorization and pillars of Indonesian wellness tourism, and facilitating discussions with relevant stakeholders.
The opening remarks, setting the tone for the forum, were delivered by Mrs. Rizki Handayani, Deputy for Industry and Investment, Ministry of Tourism. Mrs. Rizky Handayani emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration and comprehensive mapping as key steps toward strengthening Indonesia’s position as a wellness tourism destination through integrated industry and investment strategies.
A presentation and discussion on the categorization of Indonesia’s eight wellness tourism pillars were delivered by Mrs. Wiwik Mahdayani, Founder and Executive Director of DESMA Center, followed by a Roundtable Discussion on the current state of the wellness tourism industry in Bali.
The forum was held to present and discuss the eight pillars that will serve as the official classification foundation for governance, as well as to profile the players in the wellness tourism industry. This initiative also serves as a foundation for developing the national wellness tourism industry, enhancing promotional effectiveness through wellness tourism packages targeted at specific segments—making them more appealing and well-suited for tourists with specialized needs—and strengthening networks and collaboration among stakeholders.
As part of implementing sustainable tourism concepts, DESMA Center has been extensively involved in planning and developing wellness tourism in collaboration with various stakeholders. This includes working with the United Nations ESCAP in preparing the document “Towards a Roadmap for Inclusive Business in Wellness Tourism in Indonesia” in 2019 (published in 2021); and collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as a knowledge partner for the International Wellness Tourism Conference and Festival in 2022. DESMA also contributed to the development of the National Action Plan for Wellness Tourism in Indonesia 2022–2026 through a series of FGDs, developed the wellness tourism categorization in 2023, and served as a knowledge partner for the SIMPATI – Wellness Tourism Industry Forum series across various regions in 2025. DESMA Center is also actively involved in delivering materials on wellness tourism at various discussion forums, including at the Indonesian Association of Health and Medical Tourism (PERKEDWI) working conference on health tourism as part of sustainable tourism implementation.
