The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Penang hosted an event titled “Promotion of Indonesian Tourism Destinations and Utilization of QR Cross-Border Payments” to increase Malaysian tourist visits to Indonesia.
The program connected Indonesian and Malaysian tourism associations and featured representatives from Bank Indonesia and the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI) to promote the use of QRIS for seamless cross-border transactions.
Consul General of Indonesia in Penang, MR Wanton Saragih highlighted Indonesia’s diverse tourism potential—spanning over 17,000 islands, hundreds of local languages, rich cultural heritage, world-class cuisine, and exceptional natural landscapes. He emphasized Indonesia’s ongoing efforts toward sustainable tourism development, along with newly emerging ecotourism and cultural destinations.
Tourism statistics show strong bilateral travel flows: 2.2 million Malaysians visited Indonesia in 2024, while 4.1 million Indonesians traveled to Malaysia. Despite these numbers, the consulate believes there is still significant untapped potential for deeper collaboration.
The event brought together Malaysian travel agents and ASITA representatives from Aceh, West Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java, who presented updates on key destinations and transportation access. Business meetings facilitated new partnership opportunities between the tourism industries of both countries.
A key highlight was the promotion of the Indonesia–Malaysia QR cross-border payment system, launched in 2023 by Bank Indonesia and Bank Negara Malaysia. This integration enables Malaysian tourists to pay in Indonesia using QRIS via their domestic payment apps, and Indonesians to use DuitNow QR in Malaysia. The system offers fast, secure, real-time, and convenient transactions—reducing the need for cash.
QRIS adoption continues to grow rapidly, with 41.3 million merchants and 57.6 million users in Indonesia as of September 2025. Cross-border QR transactions between the two countries have consistently increased since 2023.
Also present at the ceremony was Penang Global Tourism CEO, Ooi Chok Yan, Penang MATTA chairman Ms Carolyn Leong among others.