"The assistance, both in the form of cash and financial literacy mentoring, aims to increase (the quality of) human resources, improve creative economy products, and enhance tourist destinations so that tourist visits' quality can increase and be more sustainable," Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said here on Friday.
The DPUP assistance will support tourism village managements in developing the potential of existing tourist attractions and improving local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in the creative economy, he added.
The ministry's deputy for industry and investment, Rizki Handayani, said that the 18 tourism villages won the Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) in 2022 and 2023.
Each of the 18 tourism villages has received DPUP assistance of around Rp120 million (US$7,804).
"This assistance is expected to have a significant impact on the development of tourism villages and can increase the number of tourists," Handayani said.
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Head of the West Java Tourism and Culture Office, Benny Bachtiar, said that the ministry's financial literacy program can help tourism villages develop better.
"This financial literacy program for tourism villages will provide a deep understanding of tourism and help them formulate action plans for development," he added.
The 18 tourism villages that have received the assistance include the Nusa Tourism Village in Aceh. Koto Mesjid in Riau, Tebat Lereh Meringang village and Burai Ecotourism Village in South Sumatra, Belitar Seberang village in Bengkulu, and Rigis Jaya in Lampung.
They further include Tipang and Buluh Duri villages in North Sumatra, Undisan in Bali, Tondok Bakaru in West Sulawesi, Ara, Kambo, and Lembang Nonongan in South Sulawesi.
They also comprise Limbo Wolio, Liya Togo, and the Moramo Sumbersari Waterfall Tourism Village in Southeast Sulawesi as well as Ngilngof village in Maluku.
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Translator: Sinta A, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
