Winning achievements gain international recognition
At the beginning of this year, Indonesia received awards in both the United Nations World Tourism Organization Awards 2016 and the ASEAN Tourism Awards 2016.
At the 12th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism in Madrid, Spain, on January 20 and again in the ASEAN Tourism Awards (ASEANTA) 2016 in Manila, the Philippines, on January 22, Indonesia won awards in several categories. These prestigious international and regional awards highlight achievements by Indonesian projects and will almost certainly give a boost to the country’s worldwide tourism promotions.
The UNWTO Awards recognizes innovation in four categories – ‘Innovation in Public Policy and Governance’, ‘Innovation in Enterprises’, ‘Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)’ and ‘Innovation in Research and Technology’.
Banyuwangi district administration was the winner in the ‘Innovation in Public Policy and Governance’ category for its “Re-inventing the Government in Tourism” project.
Garuda Indonesia emerged as first runner-up in the ‘Innovation in Enterprises’ category for its “Bali Beach Clean-Up Campaignâ€. As part of its commitment to become a green airline, the national flag carrier has made this environmental project its CSR pillar.
In the ‘Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)’ category, the Indonesian NGO, Karang Lestari Foundation was first runner-up for its its “Coral Reef Reborn” project.
The UNWTO selected the winning projects from more than 100 candidatures from 30 countries. “The UNWTO Awards aim to honor those that everyday work for the benefit of host communities, supporting the livelihoods of local people and protecting our environment and our culture for future generations. All 16 finalists are an example to all of us of how the principles of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the objectives set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can inspire sustainable tourism,” UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai said.
In ASEANTA 2016, Indonesia won awards in three out of the six categories. The three awards were in the categories of ‘Best ASEAN Tourism Photo’, the ‘Best ASEAN Cultural Preservation Effort’, and the ‘Best ASEAN Travel Article’. Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Arief Yahya said, “We have beaten some competing countries, including Malaysia.”
The Indonesian government hopes to generate foreign exchange of Rp 172 trillion from 12 million foreign tourist arrivals and Rp 223.6 trillion from 260 domestic tourists this year. The tourism sector is expected to contribute five percent to the gross domestic product and create 11.7 million job opportunities in the country.
