PATADaily.id - Jakarta - Journalist: Gabriel Bobby

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the way people travel, destinations operate, and tourism businesses engage with visitors, Indonesia is set to host a global dialogue on how digital innovation and AI can reshape the future of tourism.

The World Tourism Day (WTD) 2026 International Webinar and the 2nd International Conference on Community Service (ICCS 2026) will take place fully online on Monday, 28 September 2026, bringing together government, tourism industry leaders, academics, technology practitioners, and international experts to explore the opportunities and challenges emerging from the accelerating adoption of AI in tourism.

The international webinar will be held as part of the 9th World Tourism Day celebration organized by PATA Indonesia Chapter, in collaboration with the 2nd International Conference on Community Service (ICCS 2026), organized by Trisakti Institute of Tourism, Indonesia.

The global theme of World Tourism Day 2026, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” will provide the overarching framework for the dialogue, while ICCS 2026 carries the theme “Shaping the Future of Tourism through Digital Innovation and AI.”

The event will feature The Honourable Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, as the Keynote Speaker.

Welcoming remarks will be delivered by Ms. Fetty Asmaniati, SE., MM., Rector of Trisakti Institute of Tourism, Indonesia, and Purnomo Siswoprasetijo, MBA, President PATA Indonesia and CEO World Tourism Day, setting the stage for an international conversation on the rapidly changing tourism landscape.

International and national speakers representing tourism, technology, academia and destination development will further discuss how AI and digital transformation can contribute to more innovative, inclusive, competitive and sustainable tourism.

Among the invited speakers are Dr. Sofian Lusa, Co-Founder of Osnova Cyber Innovation, Indonesia; Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA Headquarters, Thailand; Cahyo Alkantana, Ph.D., Founder of Bravo 360 Adventure Indonesia; Prof. Zhu Jinsheng, Associate Professor at Guilin Tourism University, China; Prof. Dr. Erdogan Ekiz, Ph.D., DSc, CHE, QLF, Founding Dean of HMT DQ School, Central Asian University, Uzbekistan; and Marlon Cristiano Liu, CEO & Co-Founder of S.O.T, Timor-Leste.

The collaboration between the PATA Indonesia Chapter and Trisakti Institute of Tourism also reflects the importance of connecting global tourism perspectives with education, research and community engagement.

Ningsih Chandra, Secretary General of PATA Indonesia Chapter, emphasized that the event comes at a particularly important moment for the global tourism industry.

“World Tourism Day 2026 provides an important momentum for us to discuss how artificial intelligence and digital innovation are rapidly transforming the tourism industry. AI is no longer simply a technology of the future; it is already influencing how destinations are promoted, how travelers search for and experience destinations, and how tourism businesses create value".

“The question is not whether tourism will be transformed by AI, but how we can ensure that this transformation creates meaningful value for communities and travelers, while strengthening destinations and businesses", she added.

The event is sponsored by Injourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and supported by a broad network of educational, tourism and media institutions, including: President University, Podomoro University, Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika (UBSI), International Tourism and Business Institute (IPBI), Matana University, Politeknik Pariwisata Lombok, Politeknik Bintan Cakrawala (PBC), ElJohn, and PATA Daily News.

The broad institutional support demonstrates the growing importance of cross-sector collaboration in preparing Indonesia's tourism ecosystem for the digital and AI-driven era.

With participants and speakers from Indonesia and abroad, the WTD 2026 International Webinar & the 2nd ICCS 2026 is expected to provide a platform for exchanging perspectives, experiences and ideas on the future of tourism in an increasingly digital world.

The fully online format also enables tourism professionals, academics, students, government representatives and industry stakeholders from different countries to participate in the conversation without geographical boundaries.

The future of tourism is being redesigned today,  and AI is becoming part of that transformation.
-