Indonesia develops sustainable tourism

Indonesia has been working to realize its goal of building a quality, sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism industry.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said the country is implementing policies to improve people's well-being through participation in the tourism industry, such as tourism villages and eco-tourism.

According to Uno, over the past years, Indonesia has been known as an adventurous as well as nature- and culture-friendly tourism destination among international tourists.

Indonesia, the minister said, has become a reference in the post-pandemic tourism transformation. Indonesia has also aligned itself with regenerative tourism and efforts to reduce carbon emissions through tourism.

Among the concrete policies enforced by Indonesia to achieve sustainability are carbon emission offset, planting of mangrove trees at tourist destinations, reef restoration, and activities to address waste, food loss, and food waste issues, Uno informed.

Besides Bali and the five new tourism destinations, Uno said that Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, will be developed as a new tourist destination.

The new capital will prioritise sustainable interconnectivity to preserve nature, including by reducing the use of fossil energy to fuel mobility to economic centers in Kalimantan, he added