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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

North Sumatra Urged to Promote Geoparks to Foreign Delegates at IMT-GT Forum

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • North Sumatra is expected to promote its geoparks and tourism attractions during the 32nd Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle forum in Medan on Sept. 7-10, 2026.
  • Delegates will be offered visits to tourism areas and a creative-industry exhibition, with organizers seeking longer stays in the province.
  • The forum will also include a meeting of the 10 governors of Sumatra, who are expected to sign a cooperation memorandum on regional development.

North Sumatra has been asked to turn an international economic forum into a showcase for its geoparks. The 32nd Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle, or IMT-GT, forum will take place in Medan from Sept. 7 to 10, 2026.

Sonny A Soekoer, an assistant deputy at Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, said the ministry would facilitate visits for foreign delegates, especially those from Malaysia and Thailand. On the final day, delegates are expected to explore tourism areas and visit a creative-industry exhibition.

The aim is to deepen cross-border tourism cooperation through thematic travel and stronger geopark networks across the subregion. Sonny also expressed hope that delegates would extend their stays to enjoy destinations in North Sumatra.

We hope the delegates can extend their stay to enjoy tourism destinations in North Sumatra.

· Sonny A SoekoerThe Indonesian economic affairs official described the tourism goal for the IMT-GT forum.

Tourism cooperation already includes joint marketing of thematic destinations and efforts to strengthen the capacity of the tourism industry. Muhammad Armand Effendy Pohan, a senior planner with North Sumatra’s regional development, research and innovation agency, pointed to cooperation involving the potential and certification of geopark networks linking Samosir in the Lake Toba area with Langkawi in Malaysia.

The forum is expected to bring together economic ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, senior officials, business association leaders and hundreds of companies from the subregion. A meeting of the 10 governors of Sumatra will also take place. Armand said the governors would sign a joint memorandum covering development plans, regional coordination and cooperation.

The 10 governors of Sumatra will sign a joint understanding on development plans, synergy and cooperation between the regions.

· Muhammad Armand Effendy PohanHe described the planned governors’ meeting during the forum.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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