PANGKALPINANG - The Indonesia Tin Museum has become one of the captivating tourism and educational destinations attracting both domestic and international visitors to the Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
Managed by PT Timah, the Indonesia Tin Museum not only preserves the history of tin mining but also serves as an awe-inspiring educational venue. Through valuable collections, in-depth information, and various modern technological touches, it has managed to capture the hearts of history enthusiasts, researchers, as well as the general public, students, and tourists alike.
In 2023, a total of 16,896 visitors explored the Indonesia Tin Museum located in the city of Pangkalpinang. This marked an increase compared to the 15,520 visitors in 2022.
The visitors to the Indonesia Tin Museum in Pangkalpinang were predominantly students ranging from kindergarten to high school, totaling 10,042 individuals, followed by 209 university students, 3,384 local tourists, 3,211 domestic tourists, and 50 international tourists.
The Indonesia Tin Museum in Pangkalpinang continues to innovate to attract visitors, introducing features such as a mini studio, virtual reality (VR) tours of dredging ships, and adding new collections.
Taufik, the Head of the Indonesia Tin Museum in Pangkalpinang, noted the increased number of visitors in 2023 compared to previous years.
"The number of visitors has increased, primarily driven by students from kindergarten to high school who come here to learn and explore the history of tin. These students come not only from Pangkalpinang but also from various other districts," said Taufik.
The Indonesia Tin Museum in Pangkalpinang boasts 514 collections related to tin mining, including tin excavation equipment, various types of tin blocks, transportation facilities for tin transportation, dredging ship bowls, monitors, rocks, and more.
In addition to tin, the Indonesia Tin Museum in Pangkalpinang also features galleries on Bangka pepper, limestone inscriptions, replicas of tin dredging and tin suction ships, Hoofd Bereau-Banka Tin Winning (BTW) tin block stamps, 3D photography modeling, and Bangka Belitung traditional fabric galleries.
Established in 1997, the MTI Pangkalpinang building is also a historic structure and a cultural heritage site. In 2018, the Indonesia Tin Museum in Pangkalpinang became the first Tin Museum in Asia. (*)
