Berau Upgrades Waste Management to Boost Maratua Tourism
- 09 Jun 2026 18:21 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- Berau Regency is improving waste management on Maratua Island to support tourism growth and preserve environmental quality.
- The initiative combines reduce-reuse-recycle (3R) practices with infrastructure development to enhance cleanliness and visitor comfort.
RRI.CO.ID, Berau - Local authorities in Berau, East Kalimantan are betting on improved waste management to boost tourism to Maratua Island. To achieve this, they are pairing a push for reduce‑reuse‑recycle (3R) practices with infrastructure upgrades aimed at preserving the island’s natural beauty and visitor comfort.
Since 2024, village‑level 3R processing sites (TPS 3R) have operated across communities, and the regency administration is now completing an integrated waste disposal facility (TPST) on Maratua to cut the volume of waste sent to the final landfill. The TPST project began in 2024 and is expected to be finished this year, with full operations slated for early 2027.
“Maratua Island is the face of Berau’s tourism, so we must pay attention to residents’ basic needs and visitors’ comfort, including cleanliness and environmental beauty,” said Berau Regent, Sri Juniarsih Mas, in Berau on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
As reported by Antara, visitor numbers show the stakes, Maratua received 22,447 visitors in 2025, comprising 17,101 domestic tourists and 5,346 international arrivals.
The administration has set a target of 30,000 visitors for 2026. Officials say this goal is achievable thanks to improved facilities, maintained cleanliness, direct flights to Maratua, the development of new attractions like Gua Gumantung, and intensified promotion.
Across the whole regency, tourist arrivals rose sharply by 40 percent from 557,214 in 2024 (552,920 domestic, 4,294 international) to 782,266 in 2025, with domestic visitors at 776,920 and foreign visitors at 5,346. Building on this growth, the 2026 target for Berau has been set at 950,000 visits.
Sri Juniarsih stressed that effective waste management is essential to keep tourism clean, healthy, and sustainable. She highlighted the full 3R chain, starting at source, supported by TPS 3R in each village, and scaled up through the island TPST, as a prerequisite for long‑term tourism development.
“Berau Regency is strongly committed to equitable development that does not only focus on the mainland but also reaches coastal areas and outer islands. These archipelagos are naturally beautiful, so their cleanliness and environmental beauty must be maintained,” she said. ***
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