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Abstract

Indonesia has increasingly positioned geoparks as instruments for sustainable tourism and regional development under the UNESCO Global Geoparks framework. However, many geoparks remain reliant on low-value, passive tourism, limiting their economic contribution and local development impact. Concurrently, the rapid growth of sport-based recreational activities, particularly running and cycling, presents new opportunities for experience-based tourism. This study examines the strategic integration of sport tourism into geopark development in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative, policy-oriented approach, it draws on secondary data and comparative case studies of Rinjani and Toba Caldera geoparks. The analysis identifies varying levels of readiness for sport tourism, categorized into high, medium, and emerging tiers, indicating the need for differentiated and context-specific policy interventions. The findings suggest that sport tourism can enhance visitor engagement, extend length of stay, and strengthen local economic multipliers, thereby improving destination competitiveness. However, its integration is constrained by fragmented governance, infrastructure gaps, environmental risks, and limited community participation. To address these challenges, the study proposes an integrated policy framework comprising five strategic directions: mainstreaming sport tourism into geopark planning, developing signature events, establishing sustainability standards, strengthening community involvement, and enhancing institutional coordination. The study contributes to tourism development literature by offering a structured framework for integrating sport tourism into geopark management, highlighting its potential to advance more dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable regional development in Indonesia.

Keywords

Indonesia policy framework sport tourism trail running UNESCO Global Geoparks

Article Details

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Copyright © Bappenas Working Papers

How to Cite
Simamora, W. P., Adisubroto, U., Ghazi, A. B., Azizah, N. S., Hidayatullah, A. R. S., Al-Wafiy, M., & Nugroho, H. (2026). Integrating Sport Tourism into Indonesia’s Geopark Development Strategy: Opportunities and Policy Challenges. Bappenas Working Papers, 9(3), 338 - 351. https://doi.org/10.47266/bwp.v9i3.611

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