ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor has become an increasingly popular tourism destination among Indonesians, particularly for medical tourism, with visitors from the republic accounting for 79% of the 127,000 international patients received by the state in 2025.
Indonesian Consul-General in Johor Baru Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto said about 1.5 million Indonesians visited Johor last year, highlighting the strong tourism ties between the two neighbouring countries.
He said improved connectivity, including the newly launched ferry service linking Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal with Gold Coast Ferry Terminal in Bengkong, Batam, would further strengthen cross-border travel.
Sigit said the new route would provide travellers with an additional option, particularly those heading to the western part of Batam, which was experiencing growing tourism development.
"For people from Johor travelling to Batam, this provides another option. Likewise, visitors from Batam coming to Johor will find it more convenient to reach attractions such as Johor Premium Outlets (JPO), Legoland and others.
"This will certainly open up new opportunities," he said after attending the launch of the ferry service at Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal here on Sunday (Nov 1).
Sigit clarified that the 1.5 million figure covered visitors from across Indonesia and was not limited to those travelling from Batam.
He said connectivity between the two countries was largely supported by ferry services, particularly from Batam and the Riau Islands to Johor.
Of the 11 passenger ferry connections between Indonesia and Malaysia, eight were located in Johor, with the others serving destinations in Kalimantan, Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan and Melaka.
Sigit added that around 25% of visitors travelling from Johor to Batam also used ferry services, reflecting the strong two-way movement between the destinations.
He said increasing connectivity through additional ferry routes and direct flights would benefit both countries.
"We support the establishment of connectivity such as this because it will certainly bring more visitors. It is not just beneficial to one side but, God willing, will benefit both parties," he said.
He also expressed support for efforts to introduce more direct air connections between Johor and Indonesian cities, including Bandung.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, Johor had more direct flight connections with Indonesian destinations such as Bandung, Yogyakarta and Lombok.
However, these services became less frequent following the pandemic, partly due to rising global fuel prices and other operating challenges.
Sigit said he understood that discussions were also taking place on the possibility of reintroducing a Bandung-Johor connection.
"Having more connectivity between Johor Baru and Indonesia will benefit the tourism sector of both countries. Indonesia is also seeing a lot of international tourists arrivals from Malaysia," he added.
