PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government is targeting 23-24 million tourist visits throughout 2026 with the support of air connectivity.

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan said that Bandung City had recorded around 12 million tourist visits until August 19, 2026.

"So far, Bandung has received 12 million visits. We estimate it could reach 23-24 million visits by the end of the year," he said.

The resumption of jet flights at Husein Sastranegara International Airport is one of the ways to achieve this target.

The Bandung City Government is still evaluating the impact of the airport opening on tourist visits and investment activities in Bandung City.

"There's euphoria, of course. But we haven't properly measured the results yet," said Farhan.

In the first year of jet flights, the Bandung City Government is targeting Husein Sastranegara International Airport to serve at least 1 million passengers.

This target is equivalent to an average of around 3,000 passengers per day with an installed airport capacity of around 2.7 million passengers per year.

Farhan said air connectivity complements the rail and toll road networks that already connect Bandung with various regions.

"Bandung is already very well connected," he said.

This connectivity is expected to increase domestic tourist visits while expanding international tourist arrivals.

Farhan believes that the increase in foreign tourists could open up opportunities for foreign direct investment (FDI).

The Bandung City Government is also encouraging Bandung to become a financial hub to increase investment flows through the financial sector.

"If Bandung becomes a financial hub, with insurance, stocks, and other securities, foreign investment will definitely increase," he explained.

Strengthening the financial sector is aimed at going hand in hand with the vision of making Bandung a technology hub supported by higher education and tourism.

The combination of connectivity, tourism, education, technology and finance is expected to expand economic benefits for the community.

"Our target for the first year is to reach at least 1 million passengers. Hopefully, this can increase significantly," he said.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)