Tourism and Hospitality Management in Jakarta: Study Options, Careers, and Industry Outlook
- Raffles Jakarta
- 4 hours ago
- 10 min read
Obtain statistics. The obtained statistics: The government strategy has reinforced this trajectory, making it even more important. Global tourism has clearly emerged from the recovery stage into a new phase of growth. According to UN Tourism (2026), in 2025, about 1.52 billion international tourists traveled the world, a jump of about 60 million compared to the previous year and a new record for the post-pandemic era. Of those arrivals, 331 million were in Asia and the Pacific, up 6 percent, but the region was still about 9 percent below its 2019 level as it continued to recover (UN Tourism, 2026).
Indonesia is one of the most closely watched destinations by industry analysts in this regional revival. That is why the national figures are so important. The promising number of international visitor arrivals in 2024 was reported by Badan Pusat Statistik (2025) to reach about 13.9 million, up by almost 19 percent compared to the previous year. The momentum continued into 2025, when the government set a target of 15 million foreign arrivals and the Ministry of Tourism estimated a final total of around 15.3 million once the December data was confirmed (Antara News, 2026).
Those numbers come with a lot of economic heft. As reported by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2025), travel and tourism were forecast to generate approximately IDR 1,269.8 trillion for the Indonesian economy in 2025, which was about 5.5 percent of the national GDP and approximately 21 percent above the 2019 benchmark, with international visitor expenditure expected to reach a record IDR 344 trillion.
Competitiveness has grown with scale: in 2024, the World Economic Forum ranked Indonesia 22nd out of 119 economies in its Travel and Tourism Development Index, second in Southeast Asia behind Singapore and the most improved performer in the region.
A decisive decade for tourism and hospitality in Indonesia
The prospects are for more than a promising year or two. WTTC (2025) predicts that the sector could contribute IDR 1,897 trillion to the Indonesian economy by 2035 and support almost 17 million jobs, compared to more than three million positions in the decade. Because tourism is labor intensive, these projections matter for individual careers, not just for national economic accounts.
The World Bank (2025) estimated that every USD 1 million spent on travel and tourism in Indonesia supports some 200 jobs. Women constitute about 58 percent of the approximately seven million jobs in the hotel and restaurant sector. Government strategy has reinforced this trajectory. Indonesia’s diversification agenda is often summarized with the “10 New Balis” initiative, where investment has been directed to destinations such as Yogyakarta, Labuan Bajo, and Lake Toba so that the visitor economy is not concentrated on a single island (HVS, 2025).
The outcome is a large and geographically distributed industry, encompassing aviation, accommodation, food and beverage service, events, and cultural and natural attractions, all requiring professional management to operate profitably and sustainably.
Why the sector needs trained managers, not only more workers
A growth this large naturally poses a question for prospective students: If the industry is growing so fast, what kind of preparation really matters? If anything, the evidence suggests management capability rather than headcount alone. Apart from infrastructure and coordination, limited workforce skills are one of the central constraints on the quality and competitiveness of Indonesian tourism (World Bank, 2025).
In other words, the sector’s ceiling is less about the number of workers available and more about the depth of professional expertise guiding them. Technology makes this point sharper. The AI market in hospitality and tourism is forecasted to increase from USD 15.69 billion in 2024 to USD 20.47 billion in 2025, with over 70 percent of hotel executives considering AI investment a priority (Glion Institute of Higher Education, 2025). But the workforce isn’t keeping pace with the tools. Boston Consulting Group (2026) found that just 2.9 percent of full-time employees in travel and tourism have AI skills, compared with 21 percent in tech and media.
Automation can take over the routine and repetitive tasks and concentrate the value of human work in the areas that machines are less capable of handling: judgment, empathy, guest relationships, and designing memorable experiences (Ali & Ali, 2026). Personalization, sustainability, and service quality are becoming the competitive arena for the industry (University of Cincinnati, 2025). All these are based on people who have been trained to think analytically and to lead. This scenario is the real-world case for formal, internationally aligned study.
A structured program develops leadership, financial literacy, operations knowledge, and cross-cultural fluency that enables a graduate to transition quickly from entry-level roles into supervisory and management positions. So for a student in Indonesia looking at their options, the meaningful decision isn’t whether the industry is going to grow—the data already answers that—but where to look in 2024 and obtain statistics for 2024 and the qualifications and capabilities to lead in it.
Where can I study tourism and hospitality management in Jakarta?
You can study Tourism and Hospitality Management in Jakarta at Raffles Jakarta, an international design and business school located on Jalan M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta.
Intakes run four times a year, in January, April, July, and October, which allows students to begin at the point that suits their circumstances rather than waiting for a single annual start date. Entry is open to applicants who have passed A Level or completed Senior High School, together with evidence of English language proficiency through a recognized measure such as IELTS, TOEFL, or the Oxford Online Placement and Speaking Test (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
The institution is part of the Raffles Education Network, which was established in Singapore in 1990 and now operates sixteen institutions across nine countries in Asia and Europe. That membership brings two tangible advantages.
First, an interschool transfer scheme allows students to spend part of their studies at other campuses in the network. Second, graduates of the Advanced Diploma have the option to continue toward a bachelor's degree at Raffles campuses overseas, including Singapore and Milan, which turns the Jakarta program into both a qualification in its own right and a recognized step toward further study abroad.
What does the Raffles Jakarta tourism and hospitality management course cover?
The curriculum is built to move a student from broad business fundamentals in the first year to applied tourism and hospitality specialization in the second. Year one establishes the management foundation with modules including Fundamentals of Management, Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing Foundation, Consumer Behavior, and two sequential Business Statistics units covering descriptive and inferential methods, supported by Academic Research and Communication Skills.
These sit alongside sector-specific introductions such as Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality, Geography of Travel, Market Research, Front Desk Management, Business Analytics, Travel and Tour Operations, Operation Service Design and Management, and a dedicated unit on Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions, commonly known as MICE (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
Year two turns toward the operational and strategic realities of the industry. Students study The Global Airline Industry, Sustainable Tourism, Visitor Attractions Management, Project Management, Managing Food and Beverage Operations, Hotel Room Division Management, and Contemporary Issues in Travel and Hospitality before completing a Business Portfolio that consolidates their learning.
The relevance of these modules maps closely onto current industry pressures. The Sustainable Tourism unit, for example, responds directly to traveler expectations documented by Booking.com (2025), whose survey of 32,000 travelers across 34 countries found that 93 percent wanted to make more sustainable travel choices and 84 percent considered sustainable travel important to them.
The analytics and operations modules, in turn, prepare graduates for a workplace where data-driven decision-making and technology adoption are becoming standard (University of Cincinnati, 2025). Raffles notes that course content is reviewed regularly so that modules remain current, and prospective students are advised to confirm the latest structure at the point of application.
What careers can you pursue after studying tourism and hospitality management?
An Advanced Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management opens a wide range of roles across the visitor economy. Raffles Jakarta (2025) lists career destinations that include Hotel Manager, Resort and Spa Manager, Event and conference organizer, Tour Operator or Travel Experience Designer, Hospitality Director, and Guest Experience Manager.
The program also points toward roles that reflect the sector's evolving priorities, such as Sustainability Consultant in hospitality and tourism, Tourism Product Developer, Tourism Development Officer within government or ministry settings, Destination Marketing Executive with a tourism board, and Public Relations and Communications Manager.
The breadth of that list matters because it maps onto where employment is actually being created. With the sector forecast to move from close to 14 million jobs in 2025 toward nearly 17 million by 2035 (WTTC, 2025), demand spans front-of-house operations, revenue and commercial management, events, destination development, and marketing. A mandatory internship component, delivered through the school's industry partnerships and available in overseas or international settings, gives students practical exposure before graduation and helps translate classroom learning into the professional experience that employers value.
Why study tourism and hospitality management at an international school in Indonesia?
Choosing an international school in Jakarta offers several distinct benefits for a career in a globally connected industry. An internationally aligned curriculum ensures that graduates learn standards and practices recognized beyond Indonesia, which is important in a field where guests, employers, and brands are frequently multinational. Delivery in English builds the working language of global hospitality directly into daily study.
Membership of a worldwide network provides progression routes to campuses abroad, and small studio-based classes allow closer supervision than large lecture formats typically permit (Raffles Jakarta, 2025). Prospective students comparing schools should nonetheless assess each option on its merits. Useful criteria include the recognition and progression value of the qualification, the strength of industry partnerships and internship placements, the currency of the curriculum against trends such as sustainability and technology, the language of instruction, and the flexibility of intake dates.
Judged against these criteria, an accelerated and internationally networked program such as the one at Raffles Jakarta is designed to shorten the distance between enrollment and a professional role, an advantage in a market where the constraint is skilled management rather than available positions (World Bank, 2025).
Student Spotlight: Learning Beyond the Classroom
At Raffles Jakarta, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Through industry-focused projects, collaborative learning, and guidance from experienced lecturers, students develop the confidence, practical skills, and global perspective needed to succeed in the tourism and hospitality industry. Here's what one of our graduates has to say about her experience.
"My experience at Raffles Jakarta provided me with a strong foundation in hospitality, communication, and business. The international perspective, supportive lecturers, and hands-on learning gave me the confidence and adaptability I continue to use in my professional career. Beyond the classroom, I learned to embrace new challenges, think creatively, and build meaningful connections that prepared me for the dynamic hospitality and tourism industry. Looking back, choosing Raffles Jakarta was one of the best decisions in my educational journey."
Jesslyn Callista Tjandra
Alumna, Advanced Diploma in Tourism & Hospitality Management
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long does it take to complete the tourism and hospitality management program at Raffles Jakarta?
The Advanced Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management at Raffles Jakarta takes one year and six months of full-time study (Raffles Jakarta, 2025). Because the school operates four intakes each year, students can begin in January, April, July, or October rather than waiting for a single annual start.
What qualification will I earn?
Graduates earn an Advanced Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management. The qualification is sufficient for entry into the industry and is also a recognized pathway to a bachelor's degree at Raffles Education campuses overseas, including Singapore and Milan (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
What are the entry requirements for the program?
Applicants need to have passed A Level or completed Senior High School, along with evidence of English language proficiency such as IELTS, TOEFL, or the Oxford Online Placement and Speaking Test (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
Is the program taught in English?
Yes. The Tourism and Hospitality Management program at Raffles Jakarta is taught entirely in English, which reflects the working language of the international hospitality sector (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
What is the difference between tourism management and hospitality management?
Tourism management concerns the wider movement of travelers, including destinations, attractions, travel operations, and the marketing and development of places. Hospitality management focuses on the services travelers use during a stay, particularly accommodation, food and beverage, and guest experience. The Raffles Jakarta program deliberately combines both, covering hotel operations and food and beverage alongside travel, attractions, and destination development (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
Can I continue to a bachelor's degree after the Advanced Diploma?
Yes. Students who complete the Advanced Diploma can progress toward bachelor's-level study at Raffles campuses abroad, and the network's inter-school transfer scheme supports movement between institutions (Raffles Jakarta, 2025).
Is tourism and hospitality a strong career path in Indonesia?
The evidence suggests it is. The sector contributed around 5.5 percent of Indonesian GDP in 2025 and is forecast to support close to 17 million jobs by 2035, with the World Bank identifying skilled management as a key requirement for continued growth (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2025; World Bank, 2025). For graduates prepared to take on professional and leadership roles, the demand outlook is favorable.
Marketing Manager
References
Ali, F., & Ali, L. (2026). Agentic AI in hospitality and tourism: Opportunities, risks, and research pathways. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00472875251392915
Antara News. (2026, January 21). Indonesia's tourism is projected to exceed the 2025 target with 15.3M arrivals. https://en.antaranews.com/news/400950/indonesia-tourism-projected-to-exceed-2025-target-with-153m-arrivals
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2025). International visitor arrival statistics for 2024. BPS Statistics Indonesia. https://www.bps.go.id/en/publication/2025/03/20/a85d584df19ea65a5e2b3d0b/international-visitor-arrival-statistics-2024.html
Booking.com. (2025, April 22). Booking.com's 2025 research reveals growing traveler awareness of the impact of tourism on communities both at home and abroad. https://news.booking.com/bookingcoms-2025-research-reveals-growing-traveler-awareness-of-tourism-impact-on-communities-both-at-home-and-abroad/
Boston Consulting Group. (2026, May 19). AI-first hotels: Faster to build, leaner to operate, and richer in customer experience. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/ai-first-hotels-leaner-faster-smarter
Glion Institute of Higher Education. (2025, September 26). AI in the hospitality industry: How technology is shaping the guest experience. https://www.glion.edu/magazine/ai-hospitality-guest-experience/
HVS. (2025, July 31). In focus: Indonesia. https://www.hvs.com/article/10215-in-focus-indonesia
Raffles Jakarta. (2025). Tourism & hospitality management. https://www.raffles-indonesia.com/tourism-hospitality-management
UN Tourism. (2026, January). International tourist arrivals are up 4% in 2025, reflecting strong travel demand around the world. https://www.untourism.int/news/international-tourist-arrivals-up-4-in-2025-reflecting-strong-travel-demand-around-the-world
University of Cincinnati. (2025, June 17). The future of hospitality: 4 key industry trends in 2025 and beyond. https://www.online.uc.edu/blog/future-of-hospitality-management
World Bank. (2025, April 15). Visitors welcome: Infrastructure and capacity building create jobs in Indonesia's tourism sector. https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2025/04/15/visitors-welcome-infrastructure-and-capacity-building-create-jobs-in-indonesia-s-tourism-sector
World Economic Forum. (2024, May 21). Travel & tourism development index 2024. https://www.weforum.org/publications/travel-tourism-development-index-2024/
World Travel and Tourism Council. (2025, June 12). Indonesia's international visitor spending is expected to reach a record-breaking IDR 344TN in 2025. https://wttc.org/news/indonesias-international-visitor-spend-to-reach-a-record-breaking-idr-344tn-2025
