"This year`s Sandalwood horse parade will be combined with the traditional Sumba Ikat Weaving Festival," the East Nusa Tenggara Tourism Office chief remarked here on Saturday.
Jelamu explained that the horse parade will be centered in the three districts of Southwest Sumba, West Sumba, and East Sumba, except for Central Sumba, as the local government has yet to allocate its budget.
Furthermore, he remarked that the Sandalwood horse parade will be held in the savanna forests and surrounding destinations, while the ikat weaving festival will be organized in an urban area.
"The Sandalwood horse parade will be held in the savannas since from the choreographic aspects, the locations are more interesting and marketable to domestic and foreign tourists," Jelamu noted.
According to Jelamu, the Sandalwood horse parade and the Sumba traditional ikat weaving festival are part of the national agenda to specifically promote the tourism of Sumba Island along with several other potential areas.
"In addition to promoting tourism, the Sandalwood horse parade also aims to highlight the potential of Sumba Island as a cattle granary of East Nusa Tenggara, which is rich in various cultural products, megalithic sites, and others," he explained.
Reporter: Aloysius Lewokeda
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
