Sandiaga Uno Encourages Regional Festivals To Trigger Economic Awakening

Sandiaga at the Nias Heritage Museum, Gunungsitoli (Photo via personal Twitter)

JAKARTA - Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno asked the local government to pay more attention to the various local festivals. He believes regional festivals can become superior and competitive tourist destinations.

This was said by Sandiaga during a working visit to North Sumatra. The first agenda that was attended was the peak event "Festival Pesona Aekhula 2022" which took place at Sirombu Beach, West Nias, as stated in his written statement.

Menparekraf Sandiaga believes that the event which is included in the 110 Kharisma Event Nusantara (KEN) is the first step in encouraging post-pandemic economic revival and opening up wider job opportunities, especially in West Nias.

"Today I am very happy because the Aekhula Enchantment Festival is the trigger for our economic revival," said Sandiaga, Friday, June 24.

The presence of the Aekhula Enchantment Festival is a space to preserve traditions and culture as well as a place to promote tourism in the West Nias Regency.

In order to maintain the existence of West Nias tourism, Menparekraf Sandiaga invited the West Nias regional government to strengthen collaboration to increase tourism promotion through digitalization.

"Because we can publish through channels on social media that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has built," he said.

In addition, there are several notes submitted by Menparekraf Sandiaga. According to him, although West Nias has a spectacular festival, its accessibility and amenities need to be improved, so that it becomes a superior and competitive tourist destination.

Menparekraf together with his staff at Kemenparekraf and the West Nias regional government will follow up on this.

"We will prepare these accessibility, accommodation and amenities together," said Sandiaga.

Very happy to be able to visit right on Kab.'s birthday. The 13th West Nias. At the age of more than 10 years, I hope that West Nias can continue to take advantage of the tourism & creative economy potential for the welfare of the community by opening up business opportunities and employment opportunities. pic.twitter.com/tmUSM80jfS

— Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno (@sandiuno) June 23, 2022

Arriving at the Aekhula Enchantment Festival location, Menparekraf Sandiaga was greeted with a spectacular performance of West Nias cultural attractions when there was a people's party, namely the beating of 105 drums and 8 canangs (gongs), which means that in West Nias, it consists of 105 villages and 8 sub-districts.

Not only that, the Aekhula Enchantment Festival also featured the Maena Mass Dance hosted by Tri and Kris featuring WoW, Maola Afo Dance, Folaya Saembu Dance, traditional silat attractions, fashion shows for West Nias traditional clothes, and several other activities.