Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism is continuously strengthening its high-quality tourism initiatives, including through the Geopark Run Series 2026–2027, to boost sports tourism appeal.”The Geopark Run Series integrates running, Indonesia's geoparks promotion, and the empowerment of local communities with a spirit of inclusivity and sustainability,” Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said in a press conference here on Friday.According to her, sports tourism has emerged as a key pillar in the government's high-quality tourism programs.She cited UN Tourism data, noting that sports tourism accounts for approximately 10 percent of total global tourism spending.As of 2023, the sector is projected to grow by 17.5 percent between 2023 and 2030. This potential is further fueled by global travel trends, with an Expedia survey revealing that 44 percent of travelers are willing to venture abroad to attend their favorite sporting events.Sports tourists are also known as high spenders, with an average spending of US$1,500 per visit.The 2026–2027 Geopark Run Series is set to take place across four of Indonesia's premier geoparks namely Ijen, Minang, Ciletuh, and Belitong.These locations were selected to elevate their popularity while supporting their ongoing status as UNESCO Global Geoparks.The series will kick off with the Ijen Geopark Run on August 23, 2026, held in the Ijen Geopark area and Banyuwangi, East Java. This will be followed by the Minangkabau Geopark Run on October 25, 2026, centered around the Jam Gadang clock tower in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.Furthermore, the Ciletuh Geopark Run will be held on January 17, 2027, at Palangpang Beach, Sukabumi, West Java.Meanwhile, the Belitong Geopark Run is set to take place on April 18, 2027, at Tanjung Kelayang Beach, Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands.The chairman of the Geopark Run Series organizing committee, Ihsan Ramadhi Putra, stated that the event is more than just a sporting event, it is also a healthy, inclusive, and sustainable sports tourism movement designed to boost the economy.Targeting at least 10,000 participants, the series serves as a collective initiative to attract people to visit, experience the areas, and ultimately help drive the local economies.