Minister: Transforming Tourism Awareness Groups into Cooperatives Will Boost Welfare

Tanjungpandan (ANTARA) - Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono has emphasised that the transformation of Tourism Awareness Groups (Pokdarwis) into cooperative business entities will become a new instrument for improving community welfare.

“Cooperatives that transform from tourism awareness groups can be an instrument to improve people’s welfare,” said Minister Ferry Juliantono during the signing of a cooperation agreement for the institutional integration and transformation of Pokdarwis into cooperatives in Belitung Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands, on Sunday.

He added that the collaboration is expected to become a new instrument for developing tourism activities. According to the Minister, strengthening the legal aspect by converting Pokdarwis into cooperatives is not only aimed at optimising tourism activities but also at mobilising the entire supporting ecosystem and activities around them.

“God willing, all tourism awareness groups, whether they have tourism potential or other potentials in other regions, we will help them become business entities,” said the Minister.

Through this transformation, he continued, cooperatives born from Pokdarwis are expected to expand the involvement of local communities in the tourism industry supply chain. With professional governance under the cooperative umbrella, tourism-supporting business units in rural areas can develop more massively.

He stated that this integration is also in line with the government’s agenda to promote tourism-based economic equality. “This cross-sector cooperation is expected to accelerate the national programme in creating new economic centres, thus helping to meet the target of the Ministry of Tourism to grow and develop tourist villages throughout Indonesia,” he said.