Makassar, 15th September 2025 – the academic community of the Makassar Tourism Polytechnic carried out a concrete action to care for the environment through the ‘Clean Tourism Movement’ by cleaning up approximately 2 kilometres of coastline from Layar Putih Beach, Tanjung Bayang Beach, Merdeka Beach to Biru Beach.

This activity was part of a series of events to commemorate World Tourism Day, which this year carried the theme ‘Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,’ while also celebrating the anniversary of Makassar Tourism Polytechnic.

The beach clean-up was also chosen to support the Clean Tourism Movement (GWB) as one of the main programmes of the Ministry of Tourism. This programme is a concrete step towards creating clean destinations, while strengthening the spirit of collaboration towards quality and sustainable tourism.

The Director of Makassar Tourism Polytechnic, Dr. Herry Rachmat Widjaja, MM.Par., said that this activity is not only a symbol of concern for environmental cleanliness, but also a tangible form of contribution from the academic community in promoting sustainable tourism transformation.

“We want to instil awareness among students and the entire academic community that maintaining the cleanliness of tourist destinations is the first step towards competitive and sustainable tourism. We hope that this Clean Tourism Movement will become a positive culture that continues to be carried forward,” he said.

A total of 1,778 participants consisting of lecturers, staff, and students from Makassar Tourism Polytechnic worked together to collect plastic waste, used bottles, and other waste polluting the coastal area. The results of this activity are expected to not only have a direct impact on beach cleanliness, but also raise awareness among the surrounding community to be more concerned about protecting the environment.

Interestingly, the location of this clean-up will also be the running route for the ‘Run Tourism 2025’ event, which will be held in conjunction with the anniversary of Makassar Tourism Polytechnic on 21 September. This also symbolises that sport tourism and sustainable tourism can go hand in hand.

Furthermore, as part of a series of events to welcome World Tourism Day, Makassar Tourism Polytechnic will also hold an event entitled ‘Implementation of Environmentally Friendly Waste Management through Eco-Enzymes in Realising a Green Campus and Achieving SDGs at the Makassar Tourism Polytechnic’ on 26 September 2025. This activity will involve students, lecturers, and staff with the aim of instilling an innovative, environmentally friendly, and sustainable waste management culture.

Through these various activities, Makassar Tourism Polytechnic affirms its commitment to supporting government programmes in the development of sustainable tourism, particularly through the implementation of Sapta Pesona, which emphasises the aspects of cleanliness, beauty and sustainability of tourist destinations. As a leading tourism campus in eastern Indonesia, Makassar Tourism Polytechnic continues to strive to produce innovations and concrete actions to realise competitive and sustainable tourism.