Tourism Minister fights for Meratus Geopark to get Unesco certification

The natural beauty of the Meratus Mountains in the Muara Uya area of Tabalong Regency. (Antaranews Kalsel/Latif Thohir)

...by inserting the Unesco Global Geopark, the potential of South Kalimantan's natural tourism will be better known by the international community, thus it can increase the number of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals.

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Tourism Minister Arif Yahya will help South Kalimantan fight for the inclusion of Meratus Mountains Geoprak into the prestigious list of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp).

Arif was speaking on Wednesday after visiting various tourist sites in South Kalimantan during a four-day work visit from 11 to 14 August 2019.

According to him, Meratus Geopark has a uniqueness does not exist in other geoparks, that this natural tourism deserves to be a new icon of South Kalimantan.

Arif hopes, by inserting the Unesco Global Geopark, the potential of South Kalimantan's natural tourism will be better known by the international community, thus it can increase the number of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals.

Read also: Indonesia eyes inclusion of Meratus Mountains into UGGp list

However, to become part of an international geopark, local governments must complete tourist support facilities such as world-class attractions, easy road access supported by international class airports, campsites and adequate hotel in the geopark area.

During the working visit, the minister also visited several South Kalimantan tourism objects.

In addition to encouraging Meratus into UGGp, Arif encouraged efforts to increase access, if the government here proposed an airport to become an international airport.

Read also: HST campaigns Save Meratus at national Banjar meeting

The minister also supports tourism promotion, considering promotion is an important factor in improving the tourism sector.

"If South Kalimantan develops nomadic tourism (instant destinations such as hotels using tents), I promise I will send the ministry team to help focus on nomadic tourism," he said.

At present the number of domestic tourists reaches 3 million per year and 15 thousand new foreign tourists per year.

With the adoption of geopark in the international agenda, the Ministry of Tourism is targeting an increase in foreign tourists to South Kalimantan to 100,000 per year.

In South Kalimantan there are many interesting tourist attractions, some of which have even become national agendas, such as floating markets, bekantan islands and other tourist attractions.