Speaking at the launch of the international festival that highlights "tenun ikat" (traditional woven fabrics) and sandalwood horses in Waetabula on Wednesday, the president asserted that such events must be maintained to highlight Sumbas cultural uniqueness.
According to Jokowi, the provincial and local government of East Nusa Tenggara must be able to maintain the cultural richness of Sumba in order to generate economic benefits for the local communities.
"The government should intensively promote the culture and tourism in Sumba through social and electronic media, as well as photographers and bloggers, so that the uniqueness of Sumba can be better understood," Jokowi stated.
The president, who admitted his motive to attend the festival to observe the Sandalwood horses and "tenun ikat," emphasized that the cultures are real gifts of nature for the people of Sumba.
Jokowi urged the local government to develop strategies to attract more tourists, considering the potentials to be flagships for Sumba tourism.
"The Sandalwood (horses) parade and the tenun ikat festival should not only be just fireworks that light up beautifully and then fade away, but the activities must be continued every year," Jokowi reiterated.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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