Carnival Kelotok Hias In The Mentaya River Disambut Anthusias Warga

The ornamental kellotok Carnival which took place on the Mentaya River, Sampit, East Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan, on Saturday, January 11, 2025 night, received a lively welcome from the community.

This event also received appreciation from the local government because it was considered effective in promoting river crossing tourism in the area.

"This event provides an opportunity for the public to get to know more about the potential for river crossing tourism, so it is hoped that it will be able to attract more tourists, especially in the scope of Central Kalimantan," said Deputy Regent of Irawati in Sampit, as quoted by ANTARA.

This activity was initiated by youth groups who are members of the Sampit Creative Space community as part of the celebration of the 72nd Birthday of East Kotawaringin Regency.

Thousands of residents packed the Jelawat Icon area and Habaring Hurung Pier, which became the center of the activity. In addition to watching the ornamental kelotok carnival, visitors also enjoyed various culinary delights served at dozens of MSME booths participating in the bazaar which were part of a series of events.

More than 20 tourism plots participated in this carnival. Although the preparations are still not optimal, the celebration of the kelotok decorated with colorful lights has succeeded in entertaining the people present.

"The enthusiasm of the community is very high, even though the preparations are made suddenly. If this event is planned to be more mature, I'm sure it will be more lively. We support this carnival to become an annual agenda with better preparation," said Irawati.

Irawati also appreciated the creativity of the youth who are members of Sampit Creative Space for the success of organizing this event. He hopes that the synergy between the community and local governments can continue to be established to develop tourism potential in the regions.

River crossings have become one of the main attractions in East Kotawaringin. With the increasing number of tourists, it is hoped that this sector will have a positive impact on the local economy, ranging from supplying kelotok services to small business actors such as traders.

The local government also expressed its appreciation to the public, especially tourism tourism business actors, who remain active in developing this sector. The commitment to continue to promote river crossing tourism through various programs and the media is also a priority for the government.

"We will continue to develop the potential for this river crossing. Hopefully more tourists will visit, so that the economy of the local community will increase," concluded Irawati.