Attractive Cultural Festival Of Tourist Interest, Biak Prepares Various Traditional Attractions

Hundreds of indigenous Papuans are participating in the Biak regional language road movement competition in the success of the Biak Munara Wampasi VII festival. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Various cultural activities packaged in a festival have proven to be a separate attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

Biak Numfor Regency, Papua, took advantage of this momentum by holding the Munara Wampasi (BMW) Biak Festival on July 4, 2025 as a cultural promotional event as well as driving the local tourism sector.

Deputy Chairman II of the DPRK Biak, Andrianus Mambobo, stated that the BMW Festival is not only a tourist attraction, but also a form of preserving the culture of the Biak indigenous people which needs to be managed carefully.

"This festival is important to strengthen cultural identity and at the same time introduce Biak to the outside world. Hopefully, this festival will bring in many tourists and encourage the local economy," he said in a meeting with the Tourism Office and the Biak Numfor Regency Government, as quoted by ANTARA.

The BMW Festival is also expected to involve creative economy actors and local MSMEs, especially those from indigenous Papuans. Local products such as handicrafts, culinary delights, and other creative works will receive a stage in the creative economy exhibition which is part of a series of events.

The chairman of the 2025 BMW Festival Committee, Hans Yawan, ensured that the festival would continue on schedule and be included in the Kharisma Event Nusantara 2025 calendar issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

This year, 17 activities are scheduled to enliven the festival, including traditional boat parades, people's music attractions, Wor and Yospan dance parades, mangrove education, as well as unique performances such as walking attractions on hot rock (Apen Beyeren) and Snap Mor, traditional fishing traditions.

Tourists are also invited to explore natural beauty through exotic tours to the Padaido Islands. In addition, there is also a copyright competition for local food menus, people's entertainment events, coffee education sessions, to the peak of closing on July 4.

The BMW 2025 Festival is expected to be a strategic entrance for Biak Numfor to showcase cultural heritage that is still sustainable, while increasing the contribution of the tourism sector to regional income.