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ONE of the potentials that has increased East Nusa Tenggara’s popularity is it cultural tourism which has enormous opportunities for development. East Nusa Tenggara that is thick with customs and culture. We can see from traditional clothes, handicrafts, to cultural activities.
Not only is it rich in culture, East Nusa Tenggara also attracts many visitors through its rich natural resources which have become natural tourist destinations.
It could be the destination of tourists, both foreign and local when visiting East Nusa Tenggara is to enjoy the natural scenery. However, when he arrived at the location, not a few tourists seemed to fall in love with their culture.
Let’s just say one of the mainstays of East Nusa Tenggara since long time ago is the Komodo Island which is designated as a wonder of the world. The existence of the Komodo Island in Indonesia can be said to be a gift of God because only on the island the giant lizards can survive.
Not only rich in nature, East Nusa Tenggara is also rich in cultural events every year. This time because our discussion deals with NTT cultural tourism, there are several types of cultural tourism that we will discuss. Various cultural themed tourist destinations or activities are below.
Annual Culture Festival
The people of East Nusa Tenggara always carry out the National Festival which is precisely carried out by the Ende community every May. Ende is one of the historic areas related to our first president, Ir. Sukarno. With this history, the Ende people intend to commemorate that history. To commemorate them they will march 3 kilometers in traditional clothing and performances.
The second festival which is a rich cultural tourism in East Nusa Tenggara is the Sumba Ikat Weaving Festival, in Sumba in July. When this event was held, we could see so many NTT residents doing weaving in the open field. The majority or all who weave are women.
Another form of cultural exhibition that indicates East Nusa Tenggara’s wealth is the Sandelwood Festival on Sumba every July as well. In Sumba, horses are a means of transportation, but also a prestige when they have them. Sandalwood is an annual festival that involves the role of horses.
Another interesting form of cultural tourism in East Nusa Tenggara to be enjoyed is the Likurai Festival in Belu every July. It seems the right choice if you come to NTT in July because many cultural performances are held this month. This Likurai is a East Nusa Tenggara-style war dance.
Another interesting festival to watch in East Nusa Tenggara is traditional whaling. The purpose of this festival is to promote mutual cooperation and cooperation among fellow citizens. We need to see this activity from another perspective.
Advancing East Nusa Tenggara Cultural Tourism
Realizing the potential of cultural-themed tourism destinations in East Nusa Tenggara, the local government was finally determined to improve the tourism sector with that cultural touch.
This year, the stakeholders in East Nusa Tenggara want to make it a traditional village as well as an Indonesian tourism village. This can be seen from their commitment to restore the nuances of adat.
It is said that, in order to thicken the impression of cultural tourism in East Nusa Tenggara, the government will return the traditional village design to its first appearance. The goal is that the nuances of ancestral spirits or cultural sensations in East Nusa Tenggara are increasingly felt.
Decoration can be returned from buildings and other facilities. Because of the seriousness of the local government in realizing this matter, they came to form rules under the auspices of state institutions. From this, it is clear that they are committed to earnestly realize the goal of the formation of tourist villages and cultural villages in Indonesia.
Based on the 2019 budget, there are seven points that will be addressed and used as cultural tourism villages, namely Lamalera in Lembata, Kelimutu in Koanara, Ende, Prai Mbana Village, and East Sumba. In addition to those already mentioned, there are still many other tourist destinations to be addressed.
Perhaps, the archery will be applied to as many as 22 regions and will continue to be carried out when 2020 comes. Not only tourist destinations are addressed, but the government will also concentrate on lodging for tourists to East Nusa Tenggara cultural tourism destinations. [florestanahku.com/photo special]
