PALMOILMAGAZINE, SANUR, BALI – At the Eco Tourism Week 2025 held at The Meru Sanur, Bali, sustainable palm oil emerged as a timely topic of discussion—this time through the lens of the tourism industry. Eco Tourism Week, initiated by Eco Tourism Bali (ETB), is a forward-thinking program dedicated to advancing sustainable tourism throughout Bali. As an independent organization, ETB drives eco-conscious practices and verifies sustainability standards, empowering the tourism industry to prioritize environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and community prosperity.
Eco Tourism Bali’s strategic partnership with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) marks a significant step toward sustainable tourism in Bali. Suzy Hutomo, Co-Founder of Eco Tourism Bali, passionately affirmed: “Through our partnership with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), we are committed to reducing deforestation, safeguarding wildlife, and uplifting local communities.
This collaboration drives meaningful outcomes, including ecosystem preservation, lower carbon emissions, and the empowerment of farmers. European guests, in particular, will appreciate the opportunity to make environmentally conscious choices during their travels. Together, we aim to foster a more sustainable tourism industry that delivers lasting benefits for both the planet and local communities.”
Representing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Indonesia, Dr. M. Windrawan Inantha, Deputy Director of Market Transformation, shared an insightful finding: Indonesia’s tourism sector consumes an estimated 500,000 metric tons of crude palm oil (CPO) per year through its use of cooking oil. This figure represents around 5% of the country’s total palm oil used for food.
“These numbers show tourism is not a marginal consumer—it’s significant. And because it is relatively price-insensitive, economically stable, and consumer-facing, the sector is in a strong position to champion the uptake of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO),” said Dr. Windrawan.
In 2024, Indonesia welcomed 14 million international tourists, and domestic travel activity remains in the hundreds of millions. Hotels, restaurants, catering services, and local food vendors are all major users of palm-based cooking oil. “If just one tourist uses 0.1 kg of cooking oil per day, the collective impact is massive—imagine if all of that were certified sustainable,” he added.
What makes tourism unique, he said, is its visibility and storytelling potential. “Travelers today care about sustainability. For hospitality brands, integrating CSPO into their sourcing is not just the right thing to do—it’s also a smart branding move.”
The tourism industry, he noted, is already familiar with sustainability certifications such as GSTC, Green Key and EarthCheck. Integrating CSPO would be a logical next step on their sustainability journey.
This shift could also help Indonesia balance its dual role as both the world’s largest palm oil producer and a country increasingly committed to responsible consumption. “Palm oil and tourism are both pillars of the Indonesian economy. Done right, they can support each other in a way that’s good for business, good for people, and good for the planet,” Windrawan concluded. (P3)