I Gede Ardika, Indonesia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2000 to 2004, passed away on February 20, 2021, just five days after his 76th birthday.

He had been battling leukemia for some time.

I Gede Ardika goes on

Sandiaga Uno, the country’s current minister for tourism and creative industries, said Ardika had done a lot to develop Indonesia’s tourism industry.

“He laid a strong foundation for the national development of tourism (one based on nature and culture). He was one of the pioneers in developing rural tourism in Indonesia, ”said Sandiaga.

Sandiaga noted that the concept of Ardika village tourism was presented to delegates at the UNWTO General Assembly in Santiago, Chile, with the approval of the Global Code of Ethics in 1999.

The former minister made extensive comments on sustainable tourism and emphasized the importance of this approach during his tenure and after seminars, lectures and articles in various media.

In one of his final keynotes for a webinar on responsible and sustainable tourism in Bali last year, Ardika said, “When we develop tourism, we often forget the basic principles. We need to have a holistic view of tourism, not just from an economic point of view. “

He had also underlined the five Ps – people, planets, prosperity, peace and partnership – of the UNWTO’s Sustainable Development Goals. “Tourism development must be able to strengthen the local community. In fact, they should be the industry leaders, ”he had said.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR