Ministry of Tourism strengthens collaboration to prepare for UNESCO Global Geopark revalidation
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Tourism is intensifying collaboration with managers of geoparks and all stakeholders to optimally prepare the various aspects required in the process of revalidating Geopark Indonesia by UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) in the near future.
“Geoparks are ecosystems that are interconnected and maintain a balance between conservation, education, community empowerment, and the development of responsible tourism,” said Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana in a formal statement confirmed in Jakarta on Sunday.
Widiyanti explained that geoparks in Indonesia are not merely tourist destinations, but ecosystems that unite various dimensions of sustainable development.
Geoparks play three main roles in developing the national tourism sector: as nature- and science-based tourist destinations, drivers of local community economies, and models of sustainable tourism development that integrate conservation with improvements in community welfare.
Therefore, the process of revalidation of UGGp and validation of Aspiring UGGp in 2026 is an important and strategic moment for Indonesia. The status of UNESCO Global Geopark becomes international recognition and a reflection of Indonesia’s commitment to managing geological, cultural heritage, and biodiversity sustainably, while also improving welfare for communities around the area.
The government through Bappenas has even targeted the country to have 17 UNESCO Global Geoparks by 2029, and the tourism sector will be the driver of its utilisation.
“Therefore, geopark development is very much in line with the policy direction of the Ministry of Tourism in building destinations that are of high quality, sustainable, and globally competitive,” said Widiyanti.
Therefore, she urged relevant parties to prepare the UGGp revalidation and Aspiring UGGp validation processes in 2026 to the maximum.
This effort also aligns with the direction of national tourism development as stated in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025–2029, which underscores the importance of developing high-quality and sustainable tourism.
The Ministry of Tourism has also held an online coordination meeting to prepare the Revalidation of UGGp and Validation of Aspiring UGGp on Thursday (5/3). The meeting aimed to unify visions and strategic steps among stakeholders, including a clear division of roles and the development of an orderly work timeline.
Widiyanti emphasised that all preparation processes must be carried out in a planned, collaborative, and sustainable manner with full commitment from all regional governments and stakeholders.
With strong synergy, it is hoped that the revalidation and validation of geoparks this year can run optimally, while maintaining the green card status for UNESCO-recognised geoparks and encouraging geoparks currently in the submission stage to gain global recognition.
“Through solid cooperation, we are confident we can maintain the green card status for geoparks already registered and encourage aspiring geoparks Bojonegoro and Ranah Minang Silokek to obtain recognition as part of UNESCO Global Geoparks this year,” Widiyanti said.