Minister Pledges to Promote Belitung Internationally to Boost Tourism

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana has pledged to promote the tourism potential of Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands, internationally to increase the number of foreign visitors to the ‘Negeri Laskar Pelangi’ (Rainbow Troops Land). “We will certainly continue to encourage the improvement of destination quality in Belitung, including promotion abroad so that more foreign tourists visit tourist villages and tourism cooperatives can further develop,” she said in Tanjung Kelayang, Belitung, on Sunday.

During the launch of the Integration and Transformation of Tourism Awareness Groups through cooperatives in Belitung, the minister noted that the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) has designated Belitung as a priority destination in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). She said this step aligns with the collaborative programme between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Cooperatives to advance tourist villages through the establishment of quality cooperatives.

The minister also expressed appreciation to the Minister of Cooperatives for facilitating assistance to tourist villages. “This synergy has proven to yield positive results, with three tourist villages in Belitung winning various awards and moving up in class. The improvement in cooperative quality is expected to become a driving force for the development of the tourism sector in Belitung,” she stated. In addition to focusing on village and cooperative development, her visit to Belitung also involved coordination regarding the revalidation process for the Belitung UNESCO Global Geopark, scheduled for August. “Hopefully, the Belitung UNESCO Global Geopark can be upgraded further,” she said.