community-based ecotourism site is set to open by the end of this year in the Gunung Tunak Nature Park in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
The conservation area has gained popularity as a tourist spot thanks to its scenic beauty, white sand beaches and brimming butterfly population. The ecotourism site, which is expected to boost the local economy, will add to the area’s long list of attractions.
“Gunung Tunak has abundant natural resources and [everything from] flora and fauna ecosystems to beaches and hills,” Environment and Forestry Ministry Director General of Ecosystems and Natural Resources Wiratno said on Thursday, while visiting the site in Pujut district.
A project of Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Ministry and South Korea’s Forestry Ministry, the site is being developed as part of a sustainable conservation effort. It is also expected to spur tourism in the province and improve the park’s economic value for the surrounding community.
Wiratno said the ministry would continue working together with South Korea to develop the site. Meanwhile, several private parties have also expressed interest in developing tourism in the area.
“The development has been under way since 2016, and we expect the Indonesian environment and forestry minister and the South Korean forestry minister to officially launch [this tourist destination] together by the end of this year,” Wiratno said.
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