Jakarta Opens Heritage Bus; Intrepid Launches Short Breaks

Jakarta on 3 October 2025 inaugurated a new open-top Jakarta Heritage bus route led by Deputy Governor Rano Karno to showcase landmarks from the Philatelic Building and Pasar Baru to Istiqlal Mosque and the State Palace, part of a push to promote heritage tourism and revitalize Pasar Baru alongside the existing Jakarta Skyline route. Australia’s Intrepid Travel has launched curated Short Breaks — four- to six-day international itineraries comprising 10 new routes and 45 updated departures — bookable now for departures starting July 2026 and timed around holidays to suit time‑poor travelers. Example prices (a Czech short break at $1,745 and a five-day Faroe Islands trip at $4,895) illustrate the product’s focus on convenience and value. Le Figaro reports a marked retreat of Japanese outbound tourism since COVID, forcing operators who once depended on organized Japanese groups to rethink how they attract customers. Demand for niche, experience-led offerings endures: in Tokyo, ramen specialist Cody Mizuno runs immersive ramen tours, and operators like Trafalgar continue to promote Be My Guest, Stays with Stories and MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® programs that emphasize community benefit. Overall, the travel sector is diversifying—combining heritage-city initiatives, short-duration curated breaks, culinary micro-tours and responsible local experiences—to meet shifting post-pandemic demand and traveler time constraints.