Simarasok Village has qualified for the Top 15 of the 2026 Wonderful Indonesia Award, here are the outstanding advantages that this village has.

Simarasok Tourism Village, located in Nagari Simarasok, Baso District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, has once again secured national-level achievement. This community-managed tourism destination has successfully qualified as one of the top 15 finalists for the 2026 Wonderful Indonesia Award (WIA).

Kasman Zaini, Head of Agam Regency Tourism, Youth and Sports Office, confirmed from Lubuk Basung, West Sumatra that the announcement of Simarasok entering the top 15 round was released on 7 September.

"From 30 competing tourism villages across Indonesia, Simarasok Tourism Village successfully made it into the top 15," he stated, accompanied by Adek Ariani, Head of Tourism Development and Promotion Division at the Agam Regency Tourism, Youth and Sports Office.

This achievement marks positive news for both Agam Regency and the entire West Sumatra province. Simarasok Tourism Village was recognised for its strong natural assets, living cultural heritage, creative economy potential and warm local community, qualities that have allowed the region to compete at national level.

Preparing For The Jury Verification Visit

Simarasok's journey in the 2026 WIA has not concluded. After qualifying for the top 15, the next stage will be an on-site inspection visit by the assessment jury from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism.

This visit will allow the jury team to cross-verify submitted documentation, as well as directly observe local potential, unique community characteristics, and the on-ground implementation of tourism programs in Simarasok.

"The jury visit is scheduled to take place between September and October 2026," he added.

Preparations for this inspection will be focused on preparing tangible, on-site supporting evidence for every official assessment indicator.

Assessment criteria for the 2026 WIA covers institutional governance, operational management, tourist attractions, environmental stewardship, local economic impact, community participation, visitor amenities, accessibility, homestay standards, multi-stakeholder partnerships and digital system adoption.

Protecting Simarasok's Authentic Character

Competing against the highest-rated tourism villages from across Indonesia, Simarasok holds unique competitive advantages. The unaltered authenticity of both its natural environment and traditional culture stands as the village's greatest core strength.

"Simarasok's biggest advantage is that it remains original and unspoiled. We have kept our local wisdom, living cultural traditions and natural landscape fully intact," he explained.

Preparation for the jury visit will not be handled solely by the Tourism Office. The regional government will activate a cross-departmental coordination team for this process.

Involved government agencies include the Agam Public Works & Spatial Planning Office, Environmental Agency, Agriculture Office, Cooperatives & MSME Office, Communications and Informatics Office, along with other related regional units.

This cross-department collaboration is required to ensure all assessment aspects are prepared comprehensively, so that the full potential of Simarasok Tourism Village can be properly demonstrated during the jury inspection.

Once all on-site visits are completed, the Ministry of Tourism jury will conduct final ranking to determine award winners across all categories.

"We hope that with all its unique strengths, Simarasok Tourism Village will be selected as the top winner for this award," he stated.