Digital Forest in Belitung Attracts Tourists, Boosting Local SMEs
Amid the lush tropical forest of Belitung, the Bukit Peramun trekking trail offers a unique natural tourism experience. Visitors not only traverse granite rocks and characteristic coastal forest trees but also enjoy integrated digital technology along the journey.
The tourism area, located in Air Selumar Village, Sijuk District, West Belitung, is known as Indonesia’s first community-based digital forest. Various innovations are implemented, ranging from digital hiking and Virtual Zoo to online navigation maps that facilitate tourists in interactively exploring the forest area.
BCA’s Executive Vice President for Corporate Communication & Social Responsibility, Hera F. Haryn, stated that developing sponsored tourism villages is part of the commitment to enhance tourism appeal while stimulating the local economy and small and medium enterprises (UMKM) around the destination.
“Bakti BCA not only provides guidance but also ensures that sponsored villages can develop into independent and sustainable villages,” Hera said in her statement on Sunday (10/5/2026).
According to Hera, consistent area management has also led Bukit Peramun to receive national recognition as Indonesia’s First Community-Based Digital Forest from MURI.
In addition to the MURI award, Bukit Peramun has also won the Green Gold category for Environmental Conservation at the Indonesian Sustainable Tourism Awards (ISTA) 2019.
“We consistently encourage BCA Bakti sponsored villages to highlight their unique characteristics,” Hera added.
With an elevation of around 129 metres above sea level, Bukit Peramun offers views of natural forests, Belitung’s characteristic granite rocks, and vistas of the South China Sea and surrounding small islands.
The area has been independently managed by the community through the Arsel Community Forest Group since 2006. Then, in 2017, Bukit Peramun began to be opened as a community-based tourism destination, emphasising principles of sustainability and environmental preservation.
Along with its development, Bukit Peramun’s managers continue to introduce digital innovations to support the tourism experience. The applied technologies include an Android-based virtual assistant to introduce plant types and benefits, as well as virtual guides in Indonesian and English.
These improvements in management quality have also impacted the increase in tourist numbers. In 2023, 387 international tourists visited Bukit Peramun, rising to 485 in 2025.
Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourists increased from 1,356 people in 2024 to 1,648 in 2025.