Minister of Tourism monitors Belitong UNESCO Global Geopark's preparedness ahead of the UNESCO revalidation process.

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana is overseeing readiness preparations for Belitong UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) alongside regional authorities and all relevant stakeholders ahead of the UNESCO revalidation process scheduled for 3–7 August 2026.

Belitong UNESCO Global Geopark is a protected geological park located on Belitung Island, Bangka Belitung Islands Province. UNESCO formally adopted the local spelling Belitong as the geopark's official registered name. The site spans Belitung Regency and East Belitung Regency, covering approximately 4,800 square kilometres of land and 13,000 square kilometres of marine territory, with 24 designated geosites that preserve geological heritage, biodiversity, and living cultural traditions. Belitong was granted UNESCO Global Geopark status during the 211th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris, France, in April 2021.

In an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Monday 6 July 2026, Widiyanti stated the government is working to ensure all UNESCO recommendations have been fully and optimally actioned before the formal assessment begins.

"I expect today's meeting will deliver a clear picture of progress implementing every UNESCO recommendation, while also flagging outstanding items that still require support and acceleration from both central and regional government," she stated.

According to Widiyanti, key areas requiring targeted strengthening include the geopark management institutional structure, dedicated budget allocation, finalisation of supporting regulations, preparedness of communities living adjacent to geosites, and improved on-site interpretation and storytelling to help visitors properly understand the site's geological, natural and cultural values, as well as the way of life of local people.

The Ministry of Tourism is supporting preparations through: installation of signage at priority geosites, hosting international technical seminars, deployment of weather-resistant bilingual information boards, regular maintenance and updates to the official geopark website, integration of live weather early warning data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and continuation of the Geopark Goes to School outreach programme.

Widiyanti emphasised that all UNESCO requirements must be delivered through tangible on-the-ground action, not merely administrative compliance.

"Every recommendation and guidance from UNESCO must be answered with real work, robust governance, and aligned coordination between regional authorities, geopark management, community groups, tourism operators and local residents," she was quoted as stating by national news agency Antara.

Meanwhile, Belitung Regent Djoni Alamsyah Hidayat confirmed that regional authorities are continuously refining geopark operations with the explicit target of achieving a green card rating at this year's revalidation.

During the first revalidation assessment held 15–20 July 2024, UNESCO independent assessors issued 5 formal binding recommendations and 4 additional improvement suggestions, which resulted in Belitong UNESCO Global Geopark receiving a yellow card status. This evaluation formed the entire basis for corrective works undertaken ahead of this second revalidation round in August 2026.