(The scenery is) so beautiful, you have to go there.
Belitung, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA) - The 2022 G20 Development Ministerial Meeting (DMM), which has been successfully held in Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, has helped bring the island to the attention of the international community.

The DMM, held under the Sherpa Track from September 7–9, 2022, as a continuation of the Development Working Group (DWG), aimed to discuss developmental issues in developing and underdeveloped countries.

The successful implementation of the meeting drew praise from delegates of the 22 participating countries, who said they were very impressed with the culture and hospitality of the residents of the island, Vice Head of Belitung District Isyak Meirobie said.

In addition, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who represented President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the meeting, commended the cleanliness of Belitung Island and the community’s enthusiasm amid the implementation of the event.

The National Development Planning (PPN) Ministry did not choose Belitung Island as the host of the meeting without good reason.

From 1918 onwards, the island had emerged as a tin mining center, which had brought a negative impact on its environment. However, since 2000, the region has begun to realize the importance of developing sustainable tourism, PPN Minister Suharso Monoarfa noted.

The region’s awareness regarding the sustainability aspect was in line with the objectives of the international event.

The objectives included proposing and promoting a blue economy road map, sharing best practices for realizing a blue economy, as well as building potential collaborations to implement Indonesia's Blue Economy Road Map, deputy for economic affairs at the PPN Ministry, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, said.

Great opportunity

The selection of Belitung Island as the host of the G20 DMM was a great opportunity to promote the region as a venue for international conferences as well as meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE), Meirobie said.

In addition, the trust placed in it for hosting the international event was a momentum for the Bangka Belitung Islands provincial government to encourage the community’s economic growth through the creative economy, tourism, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sectors.

Earlier, delegates of the 2022 G20 DMM did not know of Belitung Island, thus they doubted that the region could hold an international event. However, the smooth implementation of the event made them realize the tourism and economic potential of the region.

In fact, many of them admitted that during their visit to the island, they felt like they were welcomed by their own families, Meirobie said.

Many of the delegates expressed the desire to return to Belitung Island for a vacation with their families or for running a business.

The positive impression of the island on the delegates could become a capital for the local government to advance the development of the region.

"The impact (of the implementation of the event) is not immediately felt by all parties (in Belitung Island), however, believe me that we have raised the trust of the international community toward Belitung," Meirobie stressed.

Hence, the community and government of Belitung district must continue to maintain this trust by advancing the region together, while still paying attention to local authenticity, beauty, and wisdom.

Promoting tourism

To enliven the 2022 G20 DMM, a side event entitled “Island Hopping” was held under which the participants of the meeting visited several tourism objects in Bangka Belitung Islands province, such as the Lengkuas Lighthouse on Lengkuas Island, East Belitung district.

The visit to the lighthouse, which was built in 1882 by British company Chance Brothers & Co., was facilitated by the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Transportation Ministry since the facility is under the working area of the ministry’s Class I Navigation District Office in Tanjung Priok Port.

Acting governor of Bangka Belitung Islands, Ridwan Djamaluddin, said that the G20 delegates who took part in the G20 side event were charmed by the natural beauty of Lengkuas Island and expressed an interest in returning to the region in the future.

In addition to the lighthouse, the delegates visited the beach on the island.

The acting governor noted that during the visit, the G20 delegates asked many questions about the formation of large granite stones that were scattered along the beach.

"We informed (them) that the rocks were formed naturally through geological processes," he stated.

Furthermore, Djamaluddin said that the delegates were delighted with the local government's preparations for hosting the event by involving the community.

They were happy to see the children of Belitung Islands welcoming them along the road by waving the flags of the countries participating in the meeting and grateful for the warmth that the community gave them during the event, he noted.

"They were also pleased with the MSME products, which are environmentally friendly, highly artistic, and able to encourage the community's economy," he added.

Taneli Lahti, who serves as head of the Cabinet of Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, International Partnerships, European Commission, has admitted that his experience of Belitung Island was extraordinary. In fact, he said he wants to bring his family to the island for a visit in the future.

Associate vice-president of the external relations and governance department at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Satu Santala, was very pleased that the 2022 G20 DMM committee invited the delegates to visit a group of small islands in Bangka Belitung Islands province, such as Batu Berlayar Island, Lengkuas Island, Pasir Island, and Garuda Island.

"The sand is white, while the water is beautiful -- everything is lovely. I love everything about Belitung Island and Lengkuas Island, along with the (Lengkuas) lighthouse," she remarked.

Meanwhile, Fatou Haidara, managing director of the Directorate of Corporate Management and Operations at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), took her time to climb to the top of the lighthouse.

"(The scenery is) so beautiful, you have to go there," she said.

Head of Belitung district, Sahani Saleh, said he believes that the tourism sector of the region will be increasingly recognized by the international community after the successful hosting of the G20 DMM.

He said that this belief increased as the G20 delegates expressed their great admiration after enjoying the beauty of the beaches on Belitung Island in person.

In addition to tourism, the MSME products exhibited during the implementation of the meeting also received praise for their uniqueness and quality.

"The tourism and MSME sectors cannot be separated. The two sectors are expected to be able to grow (intensively) in the future, thus they can have a major contribution to the development and welfare of the community," Saleh added.

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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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