Indonesia shines light on Belitung for MICE activities designed for experience rather than scale. Adobe Stock/Suwandi Chandra/Wirestock Creators
Belitung has regained its UNESCO Global Geopark Green Card at UNESCO’s council session in Paris earlier this month, adding momentum to Indonesia’s efforts to position the island as a meetings and incentives destination beyond Bali.
The recognition comes as the government builds the geopark into the island’s events calendar. The Ministry of Tourism has scheduled the Belitong Geopark Run at Tanjung Kelayang for 18 April 2027 as part of its Geopark Run Series.
Trade outreach is also under way. Earlier this year, the ministry and the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (ASTINDO) hosted a familiarisation trip from 31 May to 3 June that also showcased Belitung’s MICE potential and supporting facilities. ASTINDO chair Pauline Suharno said at the event that better connectivity would strengthen Belitung’s regional competitiveness as a tourism and MICE destination.
Access is central to the push. H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Airport gained international status under a 2025 Ministry of Transportation decree, with its only international service by Scoot’s twice-weekly flights from Singapore Changi Airport. The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs (CMEA) is pursuing new direct routes from major Indonesian cities and ASEAN neighbours, backed by feasibility studies and airline incentive schemes.
Belitung has already proved itself as a host. In 2022, it staged the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting, drawing hundreds of delegates from 22 countries. The regency tourism office also took delegates island-hopping to Lengkuas, Kelayang, Batu Berlayar and Pasir islands, showcasing the granite formations that underpin its geopark status.
Much of Belitung’s MICE-ready accommodation sits within Tanjung Kelayang, a tourism Special Economic Zone on the island’s north coast. CMEA has aligned the reopening of international flights to the zone’s development. Its anchor is Sheraton Belitung Resort, which offers 695sqm of event space across seven rooms, with a ballroom that seats 350 theatre-style or 180 banquet-style.
The zone also houses Billiton Eko Beach Retreat, a smaller eco-villa property suited to exclusive group experiences. In the main town of Tanjung Pandan, Fairfield by Marriott Belitung has 206sqm of meeting space, its largest room seating 100 theatre-style.
With single-room capacities in the low hundreds, Belitung is built for incentive groups, leadership retreats and small- to mid-sized meetings rather than large conventions. Backed by trade famtrips, international airport status and a geopark-themed events pipeline, Belitung’s pitch to planners is shifting from beach escape to a contender for small, high-value incentive groups.