JAKARTA (Antara) – The designation of four Indonesian Geopark sites as UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGG) will promote the development and growth of the national tourism and creative economy, said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaka Salahuddin Uno.
„(The position) is expected to strengthen our country’s tourism and creative economic development and promote the development of quality and sustainable Indonesian tourism,” he said, according to a statement received here on Friday.
The minister said the UNESCO designation would make the four tourist sites more attractive to domestic and foreign tourists, thereby boosting the economy and creating more employment opportunities, which would benefit the local population.
According to UNESCO, its Global Geographical Parks are single, integrated geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geographical importance are managed through a holistic concept of conservation, education and sustainable development.
Indonesia’s four new UNESCO Global Geoparks are Ijen in East Java, Maros Benkeb in South Sulawesi, Merangin Jambi in Jambi and Raja Ampat in West Papua.
Four sites were awarded UNESCO Global Geoparks status during the 216th session of UNESCO’s Executive Committee in Paris, France on Wednesday (May 24, 2023).
Uno said his ministry is fully committed to promoting four new and six existing UGG sites in Indonesia to make them more familiar and attractive to tourists.
The authorities will provide assistance and training to improve the quality of human resources to ensure that natural diversity is maintained in the geoparks, he said.
The minister said that efforts will be made to maintain the geoparks as geographical areas of significant geographical and cultural diversity through activities including conservation, education and local economic empowerment.
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