East Java declares itself an event province to boost tourism
Pasuruan (ANTARA) - The East Java Provincial Government has declared the region as a province with the highest number of organised events to increase tourist arrivals, noting that approximately 30 per cent of travellers visit due to various agendas held across 38 regencies and cities.
“We have declared ourselves as a province that holds the most events. This has been proven by the existence of thousands of events in East Java,” said the Head of the East Java Provincial Culture and Tourism Office, Evy Afianasari, during the Malang Trail Runners (Mantra) 116 in Pasuruan Regency, East Java, on Saturday.
Evy stated that one of the provincial government’s strategies is to optimise the sport tourism sector as an economic driver while simultaneously increasing tourist visits, including international tourists.
According to her, strengthening the eco-sport tourism concept is believed to be able to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals, as evidenced by the Mantra 116 event, which was attended by 4,014 runners from 22 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The event, held from 3–5 July 2026, was organised again after a hiatus caused by the pandemic. Now in its 10th year, the competition features six distance categories, ranging from 10 kilometres to 116 kilometres, including the addition of the new Lincing route.
The Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, stated that hosting international-scale sporting events provides an economic impact on the hospitality, transport, and local business sectors.
“Today, we will explore the slopes of Arjuno and the beauty of Tahura Raden Soerjo. How we enjoy Indonesia and its nature, and hopefully, this will become a form of sport tourism that provides positive energy for us all. The more innovative and creative we are, the more we hope for a ‘start happy, finish happy’ outcome,” said Khofifa.
She assessed that agendas such as Mantra 116 help strengthen East Java’s position as a premier tourist destination while encouraging an increase in international visitor numbers.
Meanwhile, the Head of the East Java Provincial Forestry Office, Jumadi, stated that his department has issued Entry Permits for Conservation Areas (Simaksi) so that the Raden Soerjo Forest Park (Tahura) area can be utilised for sport tourism activities.
“For this occasion, I requested that Mantra also run campaigns regarding the preservation and enrichment of conservation areas, which is vital,” said Jumadi.
He added that organising such activities also serves as a medium for environmental conservation campaigns, aligning with efforts to protect conservation areas while developing nature-based tourism in East Java.