Raja Ampat Tourism: Indonesian Hidden Jewel that Approved by UNESCO

Papua – Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua Province has been designated as a Global Geopark by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the natural wealth of the Raja Ampat Islands.

This Indonesian hidden jewel tourism has extraordinary potential both above the sea and under the sea, which UNSECO saw as one of the world's wealth that should be protected and preserved.

The UNESCO Global Geopark Raja Ampat Certificate Award was received by the Acting Governor of Southwest Papua, Mohammad Musa'ad, together with the Regent of Raja Ampat, Abdul Faris Umlati, at the 10th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geopark in Marracesh, Morocco, 7-9 September 2023.

 
Meanwhile, the Raja Ampat Geopark was designated by UNESCO as a UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) on May 24 2023 at the UNESCO office in Paris, France.

Raja Ampat Geopark is a special area, consisting of a group of karst islands located along the equator. Its geological uniqueness is international, with the oldest exposed rocks in the world, dating from 439 to 360 million years ago (Silur - Devonian) located in Misool.

The geological history of the Raja Ampat region, like a book, is well documented and represents almost one-tenth of the age of the earth.

This area is inseparable from the megabiodiversity of Papua. Therefore, most of the area is included in the conservation area.

Raja Ampat's marine and terrestrial ecosystems are home to many unique, rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The area is also place to many endemic species, found nowhere else in the world.

Various indigenous and migrant tribes, who later became part of the local community, contributed to enriching the cultural diversity in Raja Ampat.

They have inherited a rich culture of both objects and values, which are well recorded, from wall paintings and sacred eggs to traditional ceremonies and dances, reflecting the close relationship between the local people and the environment.

Moeover, various indigenous people and migrants, who later mingled with the local population of Raja Ampat, live scattered on the islands of Raja Ampat. This diversity has inherited Raja Ampat's rich culture, both tangible and intangible.