Koba, Babel, (ANTARA) - Mining and tourism sectors in Bangka Belitung (Babel) Islands Province should function side by side for driving the community's economy, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, stated.

"There should be no clashes between mining and tourism (sectors) in Babel. Both of them must function side by side," Uno noted during his visit to the Lake Pading tourism area, Central Bangka District, on Thursday.

Uno highlighted that the tourism sector continued to advance in Babel, with its exotic natural panoramas, and the tin ore mining system that ran with a more environmentally friendly concept.

"These two sectors do not have to compete in developing the community's economy," the minister emphasized.

Uno cited as an example, the Lake Pading tourism spot that was an artificial lake, which was a former tin ore mining area.

"Now, the former tin ore mining area, which has been abandoned since a long time, has actually been managed by the community to become a leading tourist destination," he affirmed.

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The minister noted that Lake Pading was a mining tourism area that was earlier used as a tin ore mining area. It has been turned into a lake with blue water and clean sandy beaches, with panoramic views of Pading Hill.

"This is a unique attraction. The post-mining era does not cause problems for the community but brings advantages," Uno affirmed.

Earlier, Uno invited the public to explore Indonesia's nature through a metaverse called Wonderverse Indonesia created by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

"Wonderverse Indonesia allows us to explore the beauty of Indonesia through the collaboration of technology, culture, natural beauty, and the creative economy," he noted during the 7th International Conference on Management in Emerging Markets (ICMEM) 2022 held by the Business School and Management of Bandung Institute of Technology, Wednesday, August 10.

The 2022 ICMEM event discussed metaverse as a future technology in business and management in emerging markets.

Advancements in digital technology have encouraged the increasingly popular use of metaverse in Indonesia and private companies, State-Owned Enterprises, and the government for various purposes to a significant extent.

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Translator: Ahmadi, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Suharto
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