The Forest Service of Papua Province is encouraging the development of Yokiwa Village, Jayapura Regency, to be one of the pilot models of ecotourism development in Papua.
The head of the Forestry Service of Papua Province, Jan Jap Ormuseray, Yokiwa Village believes that ecotourism in Yokiwa Village will make an important contribution to the economic improvement of local indigenous peoples.
Immediately, it has recently made for budgeting five natural tourism facilities and infrastructure in the village.
Five tourist facilities have been built, namely jogging tracking along 285 meters, a 12-meter high monitoring tower, Orchid house, educational house and compost house.
"This is part of the ecotourism development program or ecological-based tourism in Yokiwa Village".
"We also hope that Yokiwa Village can manage natural tourism with the attraction of Jaifuri river, natural panorama decorated with trees and some types of fish endemic from Sentani Lake that will be the attraction of tourists," explained Ormuseray in Jayapura, Friday.
He also hoped for support from indigenous leaders, religious leaders and village governments as well as local youth to be able to jointly advance Yokiwa Village.
The support of other sectors is also expected by Ormuseray, in order to contribute to the development of tourism villages in Yokiwa, so that the vision of the Papua Governor can be seen in the Papua forestry service's target village.
"Because what we are making in Yokiwa today is to provide economic benefits for the people. Both from the management of existing facilities and from the sale of local products such as culinary, handicraft and cultural attractions," he concluded.