Government enhances facilitators for sustainable tourism practices
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism is organising the ‘Training of Trainers Green Tourism MSMEs 2026’ for community-based tourism entrepreneurs to encourage the emergence of facilitators for sustainable tourism practices.
“Through the Green Tourism MSMEs programme, we want to foster local facilitators capable of expanding sustainable tourism practices while simultaneously strengthening the community economy in tourist destinations,” said Martini M. Paham, Deputy for Resources and Institutions at the Ministry of Tourism, in a press statement confirmed in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Martini stated that the Green Tourism MSMEs programme is designed to produce local facilitators who will support the increased implementation of sustainable tourism practices at various tourist sites. The 2025 iteration of the programme was held in Yogyakarta and reached over 973 tourism entrepreneurs.
In its second year of implementation, the training programme will be held in Malang, East Java, from 18–24 May 2026.
Ika Kusuma Permana Sari, Assistant Deputy for Community Capacity Building at the Ministry of Tourism, explained that the programme is designed to prepare participants to provide direct assistance to communities and entrepreneurs in the field.
“Through the Green Tourism MSMEs ToT, participants are not only equipped with theoretical understanding regarding green tourism, but also with facilitation, communication, and applicable community mentoring skills,” she explained. “Thus, the knowledge gained can be directly applied when replicating the training in their respective destinations.”
According to her, the implementation of the programme has encouraged improvements in financial record-keeping and the adoption of more environmentally friendly business practices.
Participants were selected based on assessments including facilitation experience, mentoring track records, involvement in regional tourism development, and a commitment to replicating the training in their own regions.
During the seven-day intensive training, participants received comprehensive instruction on green tourism concepts and sustainable business development, financial literacy and marketing strategies, participatory facilitation techniques, as well as teaching practices and field training simulations.
In addition to increasing individual capacity, the activity provides a collaborative space for facilitators from various destinations to share experiences, knowledge, and best practices in community-based sustainable tourism development.
Participants’ performance, facilitation skills, mastery of material, participation levels, and teaching abilities were assessed during the training. Those with the best performance will be considered for involvement in the ‘Training of Beneficiaries’ (ToB) phase in the next stage.
This activity is part of the Ministry of Tourism’s commitment to promoting tourism development that is not only oriented towards economic growth but also environmental sustainability, community empowerment, and the strengthening of the local business ecosystem in tourist destinations.