Jakarta, June 6, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesia will host the 12th Asian Open Water Swimming Championship 2026 from June 13 to 15 in the waters off the InterContinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran Bay, Bali Province, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s sports tourism sector.
Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said the championship will bring together leading open-water swimmers from 17 countries and serve as a major platform for promoting quality tourism, one of the Ministry of Tourism’s flagship programs for 2026.
“This event also serves as a sports tourism platform in line with the Ministry of Tourism’s flagship program for 2026, namely quality tourism,” Wardhana said in a statement released by the ministry on Friday.
In addition to the main championship for professional athletes, the event will feature the A. Stream Open Water Swimming (OWS) Series, which is open to beginner swimmers, sports enthusiasts, community groups and the general public.
Chief Executive of the 12th Asian Open Water Swimming Championship and the A. Stream OWS Series, Kiki Taher, said the event is expected to deliver significant benefits for Indonesia’s growing sports tourism industry.
“We believe that, with the government’s full support, particularly from the Tourism Ministry, this small step will grow into something significant for the advancement of Indonesia’s sports tourism sector,” Taher said.
Officials expect the continental championship to attract more domestic and international visitors, encourage longer tourist stays and generate increased economic activity across the accommodation, transportation and culinary sectors.
Wardhana expressed hope that similar sporting events would be expanded to other tourism destinations across Indonesia, including the islands of Lombok, Belitung and Labuan Bajo.
The minister emphasized that sports tourism has substantial potential to contribute to the continued growth of Indonesia’s tourism industry and support broader economic development.
According to data from UN Tourism, spending on sports tourism accounted for approximately 10 percent of total global tourism expenditure in 2023 and is projected to rise to 17.5 percent between 2023 and 2030, underscoring the sector’s increasing importance worldwide.
The championship is expected to further enhance Indonesia’s reputation as a destination for international sporting events while promoting Bali and other tourism hubs to a global audience.
