Feature – Indonesia wins the New Destination Champion Award 2026 by La Liste

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Through the Tourism Ministry, Indonesia which is rich in delicious, and authentic food, is further affirming its position as a leading destination for gastronomy.

Indonesia thus received the 2026 New Destination Champion Award at the Annual La Liste Awards Ceremony, recognizing the rapid development and enormous potential of this country of approximately 286 million people to become a new gastronomy destination.

The 2026 New Destination Champion Award was directly handed over to Indonesian Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana at the Annual La Liste Awards Ceremony in Paris, France, on November 24, 2025.

Indonesia which is rich in delicious, and authentic food is considered a must-visit country for gastronomy lovers.

The Annual La Liste Awards Ceremony, which this year also commemorates La Liste’s 10th anniversary, was organized by La Liste and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The host is French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.  Ambassador of France, President of La Liste Philippe Fauré attended the event. Each year, La Liste makes a list of The World’s Top 1000 Best Restaurants and presents a number of Special Awards to individuals, restaurants, and countries deemed to have contributed to the development of global gastronomy.

This Special Awards ceremony includes an award won by Indonesia. La Liste positions itself as a selective global culinary guide accessible digitally for every gourmet traveler.

This award, received by Indonesia through the Ministry of Tourism, has strategic value in uphoding the country’s image as a leading global gastronomic destination and strengthening culinary diplomacy globally.

This award also serves as a crucial momentum to promote the rich gastronomic traditions of the archipelago, which the Ministry of Tourism has previously supported through various strategic programs, such as Wonderful Indonesia Gourmet.

As part of the 2026 New Destination Champion Award, La Liste recognized two Indonesian restaurants as the best examples of Indonesian gastronomic excellence, serving as Gastronomy Ambassadors for Indonesia: Rumari – Raffles Bali, selected as the best example from Bali and represented by Chef Gaetan Biesuz, and Esa Restaurant, selected as the best example from Jakarta and represented by Chef Aditya Muskita.

This year also marks Rumari – Raffles Bali’s debut in the World’s Top 1000 Best Restaurants for 2026.

“We are very grateful and proud that Indonesia has received this award from La Liste, which is a global recognition of the richness and uniqueness of Indonesian gastronomy. This award belongs not only to the Ministry of Tourism, but also to the farmers, fishermen, culinary entrepreneurs, chefs, MSMEs, and communities across the archipelago who have preserved and made our traditions even richer and more authentic,” Minister Widiyanti said after receiving the award.

The La Liste 10th Anniversary event, held on November 23-24, 2025, was attended by important and renowned figures.

The event was attended by prime ministers and ministers who assumed their posts in  previous terms, international gastronomy figures, and chefs from various countries.

Indonesia hopes that this major achievement from La Liste will not only elevate  the country to the top of the world gastronomy map but also pave the way for collaboration with various global gastronomy ecosystems.

“This achievement strengthens our commitment to making gastronomy a vital pillar of Indonesian tourism and an instrument of cultural diplomacy at the global level. We will continue to introduce Indonesian flavors to the international stage and ensure that the richness of Indonesian gastronomy is increasingly recognized, appreciated, and loved by the world,” Minister Widiyanti said.

Through this award, the Ministry of Tourism is committed to continuously encouraging innovation, sustainability, and the promotion of Indonesian gastronomic culture so that it is increasingly recognized and appreciated internationally.

With the support of stakeholders, this momentum is expected to be a strategic step to elevate Indonesian gastronomy, increase its competitiveness, and maintain its strong position on the global gastronomic stage.

Reporting by Indonesia Window