Visiting Maratua Island, Sandiaga Uno Meets Culinary MSME Players

BERAU – Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno recently inaugurated Derawan Island as the top 50 best tourist villages in Indonesia in the 2024 Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI). MSMEs to see the results of culinary creative economy products in Teluk Harapan, Maratua Island, in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan.

On this occasion, Sandiaga expressed his appreciation and carried out a number of evaluations. According to him, the culinary products displayed on Maratua Island are good, but there are several things that need to be improved. One of them is related to product design, as well as the need for additional craft and fashion products so that the economic impact of tourism will be greater.

“I want there to be creative economy training for MSMEs in Berau. So later we will design it in the Creative Words program,” said Sandiaga, according to a press release from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Wednesday (3/7/2024).

“Through this we can bring marketing training and capital for progress not only in Maratua but Berau as a whole,” he continued.

Before meeting MSME actors in Harapan Bay, Maratua Island, Sandiaga had the opportunity to try out the underwater park on Derawan Island which is home to several protected species, such as green turtles, hawksbill turtles, whales, dolphins, barracuda fish, and several other species.

After carrying out a series of visits to the Derawan Island Tourism Village, Sandiaga moved to Kakaban Island which is currently temporarily closed because the jellyfish are in the process of recovering.

Sandiaga then headed to Kehe Daeng Lagoon for snorkeling and paddle boarding. The agenda continued with reviewing the existing facilities and infrastructure at Halo Tabung Cave.

Not only snorkeling at Lagina Kehe Daeng, Sandiaga also tried snorkeling at Pratasaba Resort.

Derawan Island itself has become a magnet for domestic and foreign tourists. The richness of the underwater world always fascinates divers. It is not surprising that Derawan Island has been named one of the best diving spots in Indonesia, apart from Raja Ampat.

This apparently had an impact on the income of the Derawan Island Tourism Village. Of the hundreds of villages in Berau Regency, Derawan Island is the one with the highest original village income.

(tsa)