Buleleng - The Buleleng Regency Tourism Office (Dispar) continues to strive to improve the quality of the tourism sector through the Clean and Green Tourism Movement program.
As a first step, tree planting was carried out at Bukit Batu Kursi Temple, Pemuteran Village, Gerokgak District. This program involves various stakeholders, including the Village Government, Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD), temple managers, and Tourism Awareness Groups (Pokdarwis).
“We are not just planting trees or cleaning up trash, but ensuring that the trees planted can grow well and provide benefits for tourists and Hindus who worship here,” said the Head of the Buleleng Tourism Office, Gede Dody Sukma Oktiva Askara, through a press statement received on Wednesday (8/1/2025).
The types of trees planted are adjusted to the contours of the land so that they can grow optimally. At Pura Bukit Batu Kursi, the Tourism Office together with LPHD and Pokdarwis chose banyan trees because of their high resistance in hard soil, strong roots that can prevent erosion, and provide shelter for visitors and Hindus who worship.
In addition, the reforestation program also targets Udeng-Udengan Hill and several other lands that still lack trees.
“We ensure that the land to be planted has gone through a treatment process, including filling in husks and compost before the trees are planted,” he explained.
In order for the trees to grow well, a drip irrigation system has been installed along the planting path with a water source from Pemuteran Temple. The irrigation system is targeted to be completed by March 2025.
In addition, Dispar Buleleng is also working with Undiksha Singaraja to design a water channel from another source located 1 km southwest of Bukit Batu Kursi Temple.
“We are working with students of nature lovers (Mapala) to make drawings and RAB so that the water source can be channeled,” he added.
In addition to reforestation, the Clean and Green Tourism movement will also target the cleaning of plastic waste at the peak of Wanagiri Village or Wanagiri Monkey Forest Peak.
This activity will involve various parties, such as: Pancasari Village Government, Wanagiri Village, traders in the tourist area, and community groups who care about the environment.
"The goal is to increase public awareness of environmental cleanliness. Clean and healthy tourism will increase the appeal for tourists," explained Dody.
The Buleleng Tourism Office continues to invite tourist destination managers (DTW) and tourist villages to play an active role in realizing clean, green, and sustainable tourism.
"We have extraordinary tourism potential. In 2024, the number of tourists to Buleleng will reach more than 600 thousand people. With the Clean and Green Tourism movement, we are optimistic that this number will increase even higher this year," he concluded. (MC Kab. Buleleng/Agst)