Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has officially launched the Indonesian Tourism Village Awards (ADWI) 2022. The awards will seek out and pay tribute to Indonesian locations off the beaten track, according to a range of assessment criteria. By highlighting the many unique aspects of Indonesian culture and heritage, the ministry aims to promote lesser-known wonders to a wider audience.
There are currently around 7,275 tourism villages in Indonesia, each with their own blend of traditional culture, natural heritage and modern appeal. The awards seek out the best and brightest of these attractions, judging them according to criteria that investigates their sustainability credentials, their authenticity, the facilities on offer and their hospitality to visitors.
Registration officially opened on 19 February, with villages and their committees able to apply until 31 March. In 2021, a total of 1,831 villages registered for the awards, representing around 25% of the total nationwide. This year, the number of entrants is expected to be even higher, as the government casts its net wider in search of the very best places to visit.
“We increased the target number of tourism villages registered as (ADWI) participants to 3,000 villages,” explained Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno during the launch of ADWI 2022 last month. “This year, we are optimistic of rediscovering the potential of new tourism villages,” he added.
Uno clearly believes that tourism villages can be the driving force of tourism’s revival in Indonesia, especially as returning travellers are expected to be more interested in sustainable, culturally authentic and nature-connected attractions off the beaten track. A recent study by Research and Markets found that this emerging local sector, fuelled by the shifting perspectives of international travellers, is expected to create a major boom in Indonesian tourism over the next four years.
Panorama Destination supports this project from the Ministry of Tourism. To harness the potential of this emerging market and to deliver sustainable benefits to the Indonesian people, we are working to support the development of tourism villages, focusing our efforts on grassroots projects in three tourism villages in Lombok (Bilebante, Sembalun, Sesaot) and another in Yogyakarta (Kebon Agung). To find out more about Panorama Destination Indonesia’s commitment to tourism villages in the archipelago, along with our dedication to sustainable and ethical travel, click here.
