Holiday Rentals News - Indonesia urged to develop its eco-tourism

Indonesia urged to develop its eco-tourism

Indonesia has a massive untapped potential for eco-tourism, which must be carefully managed in order to turn the south-east Asian nation into a serious destination for environmentally conscious globe-trotters.

While the bars and discos of Bali are firmly on the global tourist map, Professor Yoichiro Takanashi, director of the Japanese Ecotourism Society (JES), told a conference on Tuesday that Indonesia needs to develop its eco-tourism policies.

Comprised of 17,508 islands – around 6,000 of which are inhabited – Indonesia has a genuinely unparalleled range of environments, wildlife and ecosystems.

The country already attracts many eco-tourists to Borneo and Sumatra, the only places in the world where one can see orangutans in the wild.

Nevertheless, Professor Takanashi stressed the importance of protecting local culture and natural heritage, while also ensuring that local people benefit directly from tourism.

Marketing director general of the tourism ministry, Thamrin Bachri, agreed with the professor, noting that eco-tourism policies need to be tailored to suit the interests of foreign tourists rather as much as those of local people, reports Antara News.

The International Ecotourism Business Forum took place in Wosobo on December 2.

Japan is to bring a new law on eco-tourism into effect in April next year. The country is home to 28 national parks and many other sites of special environmental importance.

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