Artha Graha Boss Says Indonesia Still Attractive to Global Investors

JAKARTA — Indonesia Still Attractive to global investors because its domestic market, strategic position, and room for tourism growth are far from exhausted, according to Artha Graha Network founder Tomy Winata. He made the remarks as the business world continued to track the direction of the global economy, exchange rates, and fast-moving geopolitical developments.

The stakes are close to home for readers. When investors hold back on expansion, jobs, new projects, and business spending can slow too. Still, Tomy believes Indonesia has strong reasons to remain trusted as a long-term investment destination.

The Indonesian businessman said global economic uncertainty does not automatically erase the country’s outlook. Challenges remain. The rupiah can swing, markets can shift, and business decisions need to be more careful. But, in his view, cycles like that do not make opportunities disappear.

“Not just Bali. Bali and all of Indonesia have prospects. The important thing is that we follow the rules,” Tomy Winata said in a written statement on Saturday (June 20).

Indonesia Still Attractive to Investors

Tomy said business players need a realistic outlook, not optimism alone. He said the business world reads opportunity from changes as they happen, then weighs whether those opportunities can be handled with the resources at hand.

“We traders look for chances, look at possibilities, and look at something that I think will emerge better,” he added.

His remarks came as global market players continued to face a tough mix of pressures: interest-rate uncertainty, shifting capital flows, and geopolitical risks in several regions. For developing countries like Indonesia, global sentiment often affects the rupiah, financing costs, and investor appetite for domestic assets.

Yet Indonesia’s appeal is not tied to a single indicator. It has a large consumer market, still-open infrastructure needs, natural resources, and strong potential in services and tourism. Those factors lead long-term investors to see Indonesia not as a short-term market, but as a place to build business capacity.

Simple enough. If domestic demand stays alive and the rules are clear, business players have a base for calculating risk. From there, investment decisions can proceed in a more measured way.

Tomy stressed compliance with regulation as an essential condition. In his view, big opportunities still need to operate within government and state rules. The message applies to major investors and to businesses looking to enter new sectors.

Stability and Unity Build Trust

Beyond economic calculations, Tomy pointed to social and political factors. He said national unity is an equally important asset in maintaining investor confidence. When conditions at home are stable, business players can plan more easily.

He also urged the public not to be drawn into issues that could divide society. In his view, Indonesia still holds a strategic position in the eyes of the world, so the country’s confidence must be preserved.

“Indonesia is needed by the world. What matters is that we, Indonesians, stay united. Don’t be influenced by troublemakers. We must believe in ourselves as Indonesians,” he said firmly.

For investors, stability is not an abstract issue. It affects project completion timelines, supply-chain certainty, asset security, and operational continuity. If the business climate is relatively stable, risk costs can be kept down. That often becomes a key difference in cross-border investment decisions.

Even so, Tomy is not calling for expansion without limits. He warned investors not to invest beyond their financial capacity. Prudence, he said, should guide business players so they do not carry excessive risk when conditions change.

“The important thing is not to overinvest. Invest according to our own strength, in a reasonable way and in line with government and state rules,” he said.

The advice is practical. In business, momentum often tempts players to move too fast and too big. Yet exchange-rate shifts, loan interest changes, or demand swings can make an attractive plan feel heavy halfway through.

Bali Still Has Room to Grow

On Bali in particular, Tomy said the island still has substantial room for growth. The Island of the Gods does not only sell accommodation and travel. Tourism in Bali drives many related sectors, from food businesses and local transport to the creative economy, arts and culture, and the management of historical and religious sites.

“If tourism moves, accommodation, travel, the creative economy, cuisine, and arts and culture also move,” he said.

This spillover effect is what keeps Bali on investors’ radar. When visitor numbers rise, hotels need suppliers, restaurants absorb workers, artisans receive orders, and local transport operators get busier. The economic chain is long. It does not always show up in one big project, but it is felt in many small businesses.

Bali also has an advantage that is hard for other regions to copy: a strong culture that is widely recognized. Tomy said local culture is an important part of the island’s investment appeal. That means development cannot be separated from community acceptance and the preservation of local identity.

“As long as the people of Bali accept it and Balinese culture is preserved, many development and investment opportunities on the island remain wide open,” he said.

Still, tourism growth has consequences. Tomy mentioned challenges in tourism areas such as Kuta, including beach erosion and the impact of tourism expansion. He called for cooperation among different parties to find solutions rather than stopping at complaints.

“Don’t just vent about the problem. Yes, if there is profit, set aside a few percent for CSR and care for the environment,” he said.

In business practice, environmental issues are playing a bigger role in shaping investor reputation. Projects that ignore nature’s carrying capacity can trigger public resistance, restoration costs, and operational disruption. For that reason, corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is no longer just an extra activity; it has become part of business sustainability.

For readers working in business, Tomy’s remarks carry two messages. First, investment opportunities in Indonesia and Bali remain open. Second, capital alone is not enough; investors need discipline in reading risk, respect the rules, and maintain good relations with surrounding communities.

That context matters because healthy investment is usually not only about chasing fast growth. It needs to withstand change. And for Bali, the sustainability of tourism depends on a balance between the economy, the environment, and local culture.

Tomy summed up his view with confidence, but also caution: Indonesia has prospects, investors must follow the rules, and expansion has to match financial strength. One number stands out most clearly in his message: do not let investment go beyond your own capacity, or in Tomy’s words, do not overinvest.