INDONESIA has seized the centre stage of K-pop and K-drama fandom following Netflix’s decision to film portions of its action sequel, Extraction: Tygo, across Greater Jakarta. The high-profile production features a star-studded cast, including BLACKPINK’s Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal, Train to Busan actor Ma Dong-seok and Squid Game’s Lee Jin-wook.
A primary filming site is the Kota Tua complex in West Jakarta, the city’s historic old town dating back to the Dutch colonial era. Scenes were captured across various heritage landmarks, including Kasteel Batavia (Batavia Castle), once the administrative heart of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). While the production reportedly portrays Jakarta as a stand-in for Myanmar, the decision to film in the capital, and the seamless facilitation by local authorities, deserves recognition.
Deputy Governor Rano Karno, a former actor himself, has pledged to streamline permits, upgrade public spaces and safeguard film workers’ rights as Jakarta seeks to brand itself as a global “cinema city.” This proactive stance marks a shift from past missed opportunities. In 2023, HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last of Us featured Jakarta in its narrative, yet the production ultimately filmed in Canada. At the time, convoluted regulations and a lack of incentives made it more feasible to recreate the Indonesian capital thousands of kilometers away than to film on-site.
International precedents show that appearing in a hit production can trigger massive tourism gains if governments strategically capitalise on the exposure. New Zealand provides the gold standard; the country became synonymous with “Middle-earth” following The Lord of the Rings trilogy, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to its iconic filming locations. If Indonesia can replicate this success, perhaps by curated “Lisa” or K-drama-themed city tours, it could unlock fresh momentum for urban tourism beyond Jakarta’s traditional attractions.
A similar playbook could be applied when other global stars visit different parts of the archipelago. The opportunity is particularly timely as the country’s tourism sector still struggles to reach pre-pandemic levels. The Tourism Ministry recorded 15.39 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2025, surpassing the government’s initial target of 14-15 million. The growth was bolstered by a significant return of travelers from China, which reached a six-year high of 1.34 million visitors. While mobility is rising, industry players report that hotel occupancy and average lengths of stay remain under pressure, with traffic heavily concentrated in established hubs like Yogyakarta and Bandung.
Historically, however, the government has been slow to move. This was evident during the 2024 visit of livestreamer IShowSpeed, whose tour of Jakarta, Bali and Yogyakarta attracted millions of viewers. Despite the massive real-time promotion of local culture, a lack of official coordination and security support led to chaotic crowds and canceled visits to Borobudur Temple, one of the world’s wonders, and Papua.
China offered a sharp contrast when IShowSpeed visited months later. There, he was granted broad access to street life and major landmarks, even allowed to perform backflips on the Great Wall. Chinese state media and diplomats amplified clips and hashtags from the trip, generating millions of livestream views and sparking a surge in online discussions about traveling to China.
Indonesian tourism must move away from a reactive model that only responds to organic virality, such as the “aura farming” trend of the Pacu Jalur longboat races in in Kuantan Singingi regency, Riau, last year.
While capitalising on such moments is beneficial, virality is rarely a sustainable strategy. Instead, Indonesia must proactively create its own momentum. By leveraging visits from global icons like BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Jakarta can attract domestic and international travelers alike, encouraging longer stays and broader destination exposure.
At the same time, reducing red tape is the only way to ensure that high-profile visits become a recurring catalyst for more arrivals in the future and economic growth, rather than a one-off stroke of luck. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
