Sociolead: Creative Economy and Tourism Have Potential to Become Mimika's New Economy
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The tourism and creative economy sectors in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, have significant potential to become a new force in the regional economy, amidst the dominance of the mining sector.
Sociolead Director Anjar Budiani stated that Mimika’s economy has long been supported by the presence of PT Freeport Indonesia, which provides substantial contributions to the region.
However, according to her, Mimika also possesses other untapped potentials, particularly in tourism and the creative economy.
“Sociolead encourages Mimika Regency to diversify its economic sources through tourism and the creative economy, so that they can coexist with the mining companies that have contributed to the economy in this area. We need to remember the saying ‘do not put all eggs in one basket’ to avoid dependence on a single economic source,” Anjar said during a discussion held by the Mimika Branch of the Indonesian Muslim Students’ Association, on Monday (27/4/2026), as quoted in a written statement.
She assessed that to date, Central Papua, including Mimika, has not focused on developing alternative economies that can grow alongside the mining sector. According to Anjar, strengthening tourism and the creative economy is important because it is deemed more suitable for the socio-cultural structure of Papuan society.
“One potential that has not yet received special and serious attention is the strength of tourism and the creative economy in Central Papua,” she said.
She added that appropriate tourism development would not force drastic changes on local communities, but rather elevate cultural values as an economic attraction.
“The everyday cultural values of Central Papuan society represent a cultural wealth that adds value to tourism,” she stated.
Additionally, this sector is considered easier to adopt by the younger generation, which is key to long-term economic sustainability.
“Compatibility with the younger generation will greatly determine the sustainability of the new economic model developed in Central Papua. Tourism and the creative economy, including the digital economy, will be very easily adopted by the youth who are already accustomed to the digital world,” she explained.
Anjar emphasised that tourism and creativity are two interconnected sectors that play an important role in driving economic growth.
“All of this represents the best stimulus for human resource development in the medium and long term,” she said.
The discussion, titled ‘Mimika Post-Mining: Economic Diversification Based on Food Self-Sufficiency, Local Economy, Tourism, Creative Economy, and Environmental Sustainability’, also featured other speakers, including young entrepreneur Painus Magai, academic Yohanis Nussy, and LAPENMI HMI Director Muhardi.