Overcoming Waste Problems In Tourist Attractions, Steps Towards Sustainable Tourism

Deputy for Activity Organizer Development (Events) Kemenpar Vinsensius Jemadu when met by ANTARA after attending a press conference in Jakarta. (ANTARA/Hreeloita Dharma Shanti)

JAKARTA - Garbage at tourist attractions is still a serious problem that threatens the preservation of the environment and comfort of tourists.

Many tourist destinations face the problem of piles of garbage due to the high number of visitors, especially during the holiday season or big events. If not handled properly, this condition can damage natural beauty and reduce the tourist attraction of an area.

Responding to this, the Ministry of Tourism asked various parties who are event organizers to pay more attention to waste management or waste management in order to maintain environmental cleanliness in a sustainable manner.

"The issue that is our focus right now is sustainability. Therefore, waste management and visitor management must really be considered," said Deputy for Development of Activities Organizers (Events) of the Ministry of Tourism, Vinsensius Jemadu, at a press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday.

Vinsensius emphasized that the current tourism trend has shifted towards quality tourism, where cleanliness is one of the main aspects that tourists pay attention to. Tourists tend to choose clean and comfortable destinations, so it is important for every event organizer to ensure that tourist sites are kept clean.

Therefore, every event held is expected to be led by an Event Organizer (EO) or promoter who understands the tourism trend and has high awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.

For those who wish to hold an event, Vinsensius suggested that the technical aspects related to cleanliness and waste management be discussed with the Ministry of Tourism in order to obtain recommendations that support the concept of sustainable tourism.

"Let's sit down together, present your waste management, present what your traffic visionor management looks like, what kind of mitigation. All of that will be our basis in providing recommendations to the police for the issuance of crowd permits," he said.

Meanwhile, the Clean Tourism Movement (GWB) program, which is one of the flagship programs of the Ministry of Tourism this year, aims to involve the community on a wider scale so that tourist destinations and event locations remain clean.

"The Minister is targeting at least 100 points of the Clean Tourism Movement, because this is one of the Ministry's priority programs. Based on the world tourism index, the aspects of cleanliness and health in Indonesia still require special attention," he explained.

Vinsensius said, based on the Tourism and Travel Development Index (TTI), Indonesia is currently ranked 22. However, cleanliness and health are still challenges that must be improved so that Indonesia's ranking can increase to the top 20, even the top 10 in the future.

"To achieve this target, all event organizers must really pay attention to the aspect of cleanliness. With a cleaner environment, the tourist experience will be more enjoyable, both for domestic and foreign tourists," he added.

Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism invites all parties to support efforts to maintain cleanliness in tourist destinations. The Clean Tourism Movement is expected to be part of every major event in order to raise awareness of the importance of cleanliness in supporting sustainable tourism.

"This is what the Minister emphasized, that tourism awareness and cleanliness must be a priority. Therefore, every major event must be accompanied by a clean tourism campaign as a concrete step towards higher quality and sustainable tourism," concluded Vinsensius.