RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism held a socialization event for the 2026 Wonderful Indonesia Award (WIA) for the Local Hero in Tourism category. This initiative aims to identify inspiring figures driving regional tourism who have made significant contributions to sustainable tourism development.

Martini Mohamad Paham, Deputy for Resources and Institutions at the Ministry of Tourism, stated in Jakarta on Thursday, May 7, 2026, that this event aims to encourage active community participation in transforming Indonesian tourism into a quality and sustainable one. "Through the Wonderful Indonesia Award in the Tourism Champion category, we are encouraging the emergence of local activists capable of creating sustainable economic, social, and environmental impacts while strengthening Indonesia's tourism competitiveness globally," Martini said.

According to her, the success of tourism development is largely determined by the strength of grassroots actors. Therefore, the Tourism Champion or Local Hero in Tourism category is a strategic step to identify and strengthen individuals who act as drivers, connectors, and catalysts in destination development.

The Tourism Champion award is also expected to serve as an instrument to identify, document, and highlight good practices in sustainable tourism development that have not been widely exposed to the public. "Their presence is a crucial factor in ensuring that tourism programs can run sustainably and have a real impact on the community," Martini said.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Deputy for Community Capacity Building at the Ministry of Tourism, Ika Kusuma Permana Sari, explained that this year's WIA presented several improvements as a result of an evaluation of the previous implementation. "Adjustments were made to strengthen transparency, objectivity, and accountability in all stages of the process. "From proposal to assessment. We also encourage the active participation of all stakeholders in proposing the best candidates from each region," Ika said.

The Ministry of Tourism is inviting all stakeholders to play an active role in identifying inspiring tourism champions from across Indonesia. The selected champions are expected to become driving forces for inclusive, sustainable, and competitive tourism development.