The requirements of becoming a geopark — that the area must have geodiversity, biodiversity, and culture diversity — have been met by Dieng.
Wonosobo, C Java (ANTARA) - The government of Wonosobo district, Central Java province, is ready to collaborate with all parties to build the Dieng area as a national geopark, an official has said.

Head of the Wonosobo district, Afif Nurhidayat, said here on Tuesday that it will be necessary to synergize with many parties, especially Banjarnegara district, to develop a superior tourism destination in the Dieng area.

He made the statement while opening a seminar on the 'Development of the Central Java Dieng Geopark' at Pendopo, Wonosobo district.

"Communication must be built intensively. It also has to be able to create a clear vision for the establishment of collaborative cooperation between the two districts," he said.

In the Dieng area, there are 10 heritage sites in the Wonosobo district and 13 heritage sites in the Banjarnegara district, he informed.

Currently, the Dieng area has been designated by President Joko Widodo as a strategic national tourism area, thus it requires great management by all stakeholders, Nurhidayat said.

"The requirements of becoming a geopark — that the area must have geodiversity, biodiversity, and culture diversity — have been met by Dieng. Thus, the area has the potential to be a world-class tourism destination," he remarked.

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He emphasized that he is ready to build cooperation, including exchanging ideas, innovations, and creations with the other district as well as possible.

Coordinator of mineral, coal, geothermal, and geopark strategic activities at the Directorate of Energy and Mineral Resources under the National Development Planning Board, Togu Pardede, acknowledged that the Dieng area has the potential to be a global geopark.

"The uniqueness of Dieng, which has the characteristics of geodiversity, biodiversity, and culture diversity, will be able to attract domestic and foreign tourists," he remarked.

According to him, through the collaboration of the two district governments, Dieng's global geopark status will be just one step away.

Pardede, who was the keynote speaker at the seminar, said that the Dieng Geopark, which had been initiated a long time ago, would not only become a strong tourism attraction, but also a center for science, research, and investment.

“There are many examples of countries which are successful in establishing geoparks, for instance, Malaysia, China, Spain, and Germany, which have been able to attract tens of millions of tourists each year,” he added.

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Translator: Heru Suyitno, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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