Planning and Research

Indecon actively conducts researches and program on ecotourism development in many places such as Sabang, Aceh; Tangkahan-Gunung Leuser National Park; Toba Lake and Southern Nias in North Sumatra; Gunung Halimun National Park and Pangandaran in West Java; Candirejo village in Magelang regency; Bali-West Nusa Tenggara and Flores-East Nusa Tenggara; Lejja Area; South Sulawesi; Wakatobi in South East Sulawesi; etc.

Indecon cooperates with various international institutions such as UNWTO, UNESCO, IUCN, and IGES-Japan. Indecon is also collaborating with both national and international NGOs  such as WWF, FFI, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, ECEAT, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Japan Ecolodge Association, STDC (Sustainable Tourism Development Center)-Mongolia, CCBEN (Cambodia Community Based Ecotourism Network), WWF-Laos, CBT-I (Community Based Tourism Initiative)-Thailand. Indecon has also been working closely with Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Home Affairs.

Capacity Building

Improving capacity is one of the key success factors in achieving sustainable ecotourism management. Indecon – in partnership with government and universities – regularly facilitates capacity building trainings and workshops for ecotourism stakeholders. These are provided for guides, local communities, tour operator, and local government in different areas of Indonesia.

 

Product and Destination Development

Developing destination to encourage effective and sustainable tourism management is one of our priorities. We have facilitated local government, international NGO, and private sectors in improving the management of a destination to accommodate natural conservation, cultural preservation, and community participation.
Indecon has formulated standard for ecotourism products (principles, criteria, and indicators) to develop ecotourism products; as well as (self) assessment tools for product certification. These have been helping many local tour operators to create competitive ecotourism products and be able to compete in both national and international market.

Market Link Development

Marketing is one of the biggest challenges in developing community based ecotourism. Our experiences showed that by strenghtening market link in national and international market helps boosting sale, thus increasing number of visits to community managed destinations. Indecon has also established Indonesia ecotravel (www.indonesiaecotravel.com),  a marketing link to promote ecotourism products developed by ecotourism network members. Moreover, Indecon is also publishing e-newsletter, website, and mailing list for its network members. In partnership with Bumi Kita Foundation, Indecon published natural guide books on Bali and Nusa Tenggara,  and is actively participating in national and international tourism market exhibitions.