The Mount Halimun Salak National Park (TNGHS) Office has officially begun transforming hiking trail management through the development of the Ajisaka Trail in Bogor Regency, West Java. This initiative is part of the Ministry of Forestry's strategic program titled 'Bedah Gunung' (Mountain Overhaul), which aims to enhance the quality of nature tourism in conservation areas through the application of national standards.
This commitment declaration involves various stakeholders, ranging from government agencies, academics, and mountain guide associations to buffer village communities. This cross-sectoral collaboration focuses on formulating strict standard operating procedures (SOPs), strengthening human resource capacity, and digitalizing the climbing monitoring system.
As a concrete step, the Ajisaka Trail will undergo an audit based on the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 8748:2019 concerning Mountain Climbing Management. The audit results will serve as the main benchmark for arranging supporting facilities, such as ticket post renovations, shelters, and information facilities, while maintaining ecosystem sustainability principles.
Head of the Sub-directorate of Natural Tourism Environmental Services Utilization at the Ministry of Forestry, Johan Setiawan, emphasized that this program is designed to create a balance between a high-quality climber experience and the protection of conservation area functions. He stressed that visitor safety is an absolute priority that must be accompanied by professional management.
Echoing this sentiment, Head of the TNGHS Office, Didid Sulastiyo, added that this development carries a vision of *zero waste* and *zero accident*. With strict standard enforcement, the Ajisaka Trail is expected to serve as a role model for managing other hiking trails across Indonesia, where the tourism sector can generate economic benefits for local communities without compromising environmental integrity.
