Business & investment
East Sumba drew 41,524 visitors in 2025, wants quality over quantity
Numbers have been flat for three years. Foreign visitors made up about one in eight; the average stay was three nights.
East Sumba recorded 41,524 tourist visits in 2025, 36,242 domestic and 5,282 foreign, according to the regency's tourism and culture office as reported by ANTARA and kumparan in January 2026. That is almost the same as 2024 (41,812) and below the 2022 peak of 46,298. Visitors stayed three nights on average.
- 2025: 41,524 visits (36,242 domestic, 5,282 foreign).
- 2024: 41,812; 2022 peak: 46,298.
- Average stay: 3 nights.
- Most visited: Walakiri beach, the Tanarara hills and Tanggedu waterfall.
- Office head Marolop Simanjuntak says the regency prefers quality experiences to mass tourism.
WAINGAPU — East Sumba recorded 41,524 tourist visits in 2025, according to the regency's tourism and culture office: 36,242 domestic and 5,282 foreign. That is almost the same as 2024 (41,812) and below the 2022 peak of 46,298.
How long visitors stay and where they go in East Sumba
Visitors stayed three nights on average, and the most visited places were Walakiri beach, the Tanarara hills and Tanggedu waterfall.
Why East Sumba prefers quality tourism to mass tourism
The head of the office, Marolop Simanjuntak, said foreign arrivals had grown since the pandemic, including from the United Kingdom. He said the regency prefers quality experiences to mass tourism, because local communities are not yet equally ready, and named waste, drugs, prostitution and human trafficking among the risks tourism can bring.
What it means
For investors, East Sumba is still a very small market by Bali's standards, and the regency is openly steering towards low-volume, higher-value tourism. Projects that work with local communities are more likely to have official support.
For more figures about the island, see Sumba in facts and figures.
- kumparanTRAVEL: 41.524 Wisatawan Kunjungi Sumba Timur Sepanjang Tahun 2025 (14 Jan 2026)
- ANTARA: Pemkab Sumba Timur catat 41.524 kunjungan wisatawan sepanjang 2025 (13 Jan 2026)
Spotted an error? Write to info@ecobeachcity.com.
Low Tide, every Sunday
One short letter a week about living well, from an island with more horses than traffic lights. Free.
We only use your email to send the letter. Unsubscribe in one click.
