Museums Become Tourist Destinations For Explore Heritage To National Civilization

The National Museum of Indonesia has reopened (Instagram/museumnationalindonesia)

JAKARTA - Museums are often underestimated in Indonesia, even though in developed countries, museums have an important role in introducing to recognizing the cultural heritage, history and civilization of a nation.

Fadli Zon, Minister of Culture of Indonesia, expressed his concern about the lack of appreciation for museums in Indonesia.

According to him, museums are not just the final storage warehouse of historical objects, but more than that, museums are a center for learning, literacy education, and a place where awareness of the importance of history and culture can be instilled in the community, especially the younger generation.

"Museums in developed countries are always on the front page. When someone visits a national museum in the country, within an hour or two they can get an idea of the nation's journey,"

This was said by Fadli Zon when he was met at the opening ceremony of the 2024 National Level Museum Cermat Smart Competition (LCCM) at the Indonesian National Museum, Friday (1/11/2024).

Seeing the importance of the role of the museum, the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) will make efforts to standardize museums in Indonesia.

Fadli Zon stated that this standardization was carried out so that museums in Indonesia could "upgrade". The plan, the museum will be categorized based on class, namely standard A, B, and C.

"We hope that more museums will reach standard A, including in regions," he said.

In addition, the importance of the existence of a thematic museum that has a certain focus also needs to be considered. Currently, Indonesia has nearly 500 museums managed by the central government, local governments, as well as foundations and individual institutions.

Some of the thematic museums that already exist include the Keris Museum in Solo, the Filateli Museum, and science museums. With the existence of these thematic museums, it is easier for people to access specific and in-depth information about various fields of science and culture.

One of the efforts made by the Ministry of Education and Culture to grow people's love for museums is through educational activities targeting teenagers and school children.

Fadli Zon gave an example, competitions such as careful smart competitions about museums for junior high school students can be an effective educational tool. Through this competition, participants not only learn about the history and cultural heritage, but also better understand the substance and content of a museum.

"This will provide encouragement to the younger generation to explore deeper knowledge and appreciate the history of their nation," he added.

More than that, the museum must also function as an interactive and interesting learning place. Thus, the museum can act as a center for sustainable cultural literacy and education.

With these steps, it is hoped that museums in Indonesia can be more appreciated and become one of the main attractions for local and foreign tourists.