On August 9, 2022, Paulus Waterpauw as the West Papua government, was invited to Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Pro 1 Manokwari to discuss tourism development plans in area for which he is responsible to.
At that time, he had served only two months as governor. However, he clearly conveyed the program design for the development in an hour, starting from 08.00-09.00 PM local time.
The Basic Master Plan
The plan that the West Papua government has regarding tourism has a different implementation in which it takes a direct approach to the community. Therefore, please continue reading to discover more!
1. Regulation on Tourism Development
Tourism development in West Papua has been running for a long time. But with a presidential decree, the concern will increase.
Tourism plan is regulated in Presidential Decree No. 9 of 2020 and regional regulation No. 10 of 2019. The essence of them is to refer to the development of leading commodities in non-deforestation areas, including ecotourism.
The uniqueness of the hills, lakes, sea, biodiversity and culture in West Papua is the government’s biggest motivation in enhancing the tourism potential of this region.
Therefore, there are destinations that will be prioritized in its development, including: Mansinam Island, Framu Lake, Cenderawasih and smart bird observation tours, Arfak Mountains (twin lakes), Mount Botak, Mount Meja Manokwari, Teluk Marine Park, and Wondana Bay
2. Environmentally Development Approach
The development concept in West Papua will use an environmental approach and is targeted to help strengthen several types of tourism, covering nature and culture, religion, and special interests (education and research).
On the other hand, there is also a tourism concept designed to grow regional income, namely MICE which is an acronym for meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition. This innovation was introduced through an international conference on Biodiversity, Ecotourism, and the Creative Economy in 2018 and several other local events.
Another West Papua government’s master plan is to rise local human resources to technical personnel on hospitality. They provide formal and informal education that teaches the knowledge and skills of tourism entrepreneurs.
3. Priority and Super-Priority Tourism
Raja Ampat and Wondana Bay are destinations that are getting more attention from the government. The development is carried out in stages for each cluster which includes Fakfak-Kaimana, Manokwari Raya, and Sorong Raya.
With regard to infrastructure, the government will cooperate with related parties, the central government, communities, and the private sector.
Meanwhile, the Gunung Meja nature tourism park forest area is a current project being carried out by the government. They focus on transportation and access. Then those are realized through the improvement of roads, bridges, airports, ports and means of conveyance.
4. The Contribution of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR)
Besides the local government, PUPR also contributes to the development of tourism in West Papua. Infrastructure became the main focus, followed by massive promotions.
Raja Ampat is equally their priority by dealing with the improvement of water resources infrastructure which includes maintenance of rivers and beaches.
In 2020, the project that has been completed is the construction of an Artificial Rainwater Storage Aquifer in two villages. They are Yenkaven and Abidon. The Naverboy Bridge and improving the quality of community housing through the assistance program have also been completed, with a total of 322 units achieved.
Tourism Without any Maintenance is Nothing
The steps taken by the West Papua government in increasing tourism potential have been comprehensive since covering the development of infrastructure, human resources, and promotion. Thus, it can catch more visitor’s interest along with the beauty and comfort they get in this region.
