Traveloka Teams Up with Sahabat Pulau Indonesia to Plant 10,000 Mangroves in Mandalika to Support Ecotourism Sustainability

Jakarta, 26 July 2021 - In commemoration of the International Mangrove Day, Traveloka, Southeast Asia’s lifestyle superapp, collaborated with Sahabat Pulau Indonesia, a youth action-based organization focusing on coastal issues, to kick off a sustainable social initiative of 10,000 mangrove seedlings plantation in Batu Berang Beach area, Mertak Village, Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The initiative covers mangrove seedlings planting as well as a two-year mangrove preservation process involving local communities. The Mangrove Plantation Program is part of Traveloka's commitment to take part in realizing sustainable tourism in Indonesia and supporting the domestic tourism recovery through the ecotourism development as well as environmentally-friendly and responsible tourism practices.

Mertak Village is listed as one of the tourist villages in the Super Priority Tourism Destination (DPSP) in Mandalika, Lombok, as well as Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK). This tourist village offers marine tourism and ecotourism with beaches, mountains and mangroves as the main tourist attractions. However, the condition of the coastal area in Mertak Village has been dreary in recent years, mainly due to erosion and abrasion. Over the past year, the shoreline has moved by as much as one meter towards the coast. For this reason, mangrove plantation is fundamental to curb the abrasion rate and to maintain the quality of coastal ecosystem as well as marine biota in the long term.

Dr. H. Zulkieflimansyah, Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, stated, “We really appreciate Traveloka’s and Sahabat Pulau Indonesia’s contribution to preserve the environment in the coastal area of ​​Batu Berang Beach in Mertak Village. In addition to having an important role in conserving the coastal areas and protecting it from the tsunami threat, mangrove areas can also be utilized to farm fish, crab, and shrimp, which is the source of livelihood for fishermen. Mangrove plantation can improve the coastal ecosystem condition in the long run so that it can boost the productivity of tourism activities in the area. In addition, this initiative is also one of the supporting factors for Lombok's readiness to host MotoGP and other international events in the future. We encourage the local people of the Mertak Village to actively participate in maintaining and taking care of the mangroves in order to ensure the sustainability of Mertak Tourism Village and its natural beauty, which will contribute to support the dazzling tourism of NTB.”

In carrying out this Mangrove Plantation Program, Sahabat Pulau Indonesia also collaborates with the Mertak Village community and members of BAPERA (Barisan Pemuda Nusantara) in Pujut District for the mangrove seedlings plantation and maintenance (weeding, replanting, thinning) processes to preserve the mangrove areas. Furthermore, environmental-focused communities, tourism communities, and tourism awareness groups (pokdarwis) also take part in this program.

Albert, Co-Founder of Traveloka, said, “Mandalika has an impressive ecotourism and water sports destinations that we must preserve. The Mangrove Plantation Program is the manifestation of Traveloka's active participation in preserving the environment in Mandalika, especially in Batu Berang Beach, Mertak Village. This program is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 14 on sustainable marine and coastal management. Through this long-term environmental preservation initiative, we hope to also encourage economic growth in Mandalika and NTB Province, especially in Mertak Village. This contribution is also part of our responsibility in realizing sustainable tourism in Indonesia by focusing on three main pillars, which are environmental, socio-cultural, and economic governance.”

This program is also in line with Sahabat Pulau Indonesia's mission to restore and protect mangrove forests. Indonesia has the largest mangrove forest in the world with a total area of 3.2 million hectares or 22.4% of the world's total mangrove area. This makes Indonesia’s mangrove forests one of the biggest cantilevers in maintaining the earth's temperature. The expansion of mangrove areas with continuous plantation efforts in the long term could enhance the coastal areas’ state and keep the balance of the underwater biota ecosystem.

Noor Adrishya Aishvari, Acting Director of Sahabat Pulau Indonesia, mentioned, “The establishment of Sahabat Pulau Indonesia aims to help solving the challenges faced in educating and empowering the community in Indonesia’s coastal areas through technology utilization and teaching methods that have adapted to the new normal protocols. In addition, the Mangrove Plantation Program with Traveloka is designed as an environmental education program that involves eco warriors such as volunteers, young generation, and the general public to become agents of change for the environment. Through a series of webinar sessions, we also promote the importance of preserving mangroves and its benefits for the community.”

“At Traveloka, we believe that the main attraction of Indonesia’s tourism industry is its natural wonders. We need to maintain its sustainability and quality so we can continue to attract tourists while at the same time providing additional values that are beneficial for local communities.” Albert concluded.