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THE MINISTRY of Creative Economy invites Creative Economy (Ekraf) players in Mandalika, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to participate in the Ekraf Hunt. Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene said that Mandalika as a special economic zone has great potential in supporting the growth of the national creative economy.
According to the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar in an interactive dialogue that took place at the InJourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Lombok office on Thursday (05/8), 2025 said the creative economy is part of the national priority. The government is present not only as a regulator, but also as a facilitator and bridge for partnerships.
“We want to hear directly about the challenges in the sector, so that the solutions that are developed really meet the needs. There are challenges such as limited market access and development of human resources (HR) capacity that still need to be addressed through a collaborative approach,” said Irene.
Irene also emphasized the importance of the hexahelix approach involving government, academia, business, communities, media and financial institutions.
In addition, Irene introduced the Ekraf Hunt initiative as a forum for everything in the creative economy industry in its selection based on curation. Ekraf Hunt, continued Irene, will be a map to introduce and promote creative economy actors throughout Indonesia.
“We want to present a national creative catalog that is not only centered in the city, but can start from the regions. Because creativity grows from local culture,” Irene said.
The Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene also encouraged synergy between the Creative Economy Ministry and local creative economy stakeholders to see the potential that exists in the hotel sector in Mandalika to provide an authentic creative experience for tourists, including through the use of local gaming content.
“The Ministry is also highlighting the role of women in the creative industry through the Womenpreneur community, as well as the importance of strengthening communities such as the Creative Economy Movement (Gekraf), which has grown out of regional initiatives and local content creators,” she added.
Meanwhile, ITDC Commercial Director Troy Reza Warokka expressed his commitment to making the Mandalika area a showcase for the creative economy. Indeed, the importance of creative business space that can attract visitors to stay longer in the area.
“Our ecosystem is closely linked to tourism. Mandalika is not just a racing event, but a space for the growth of various creative sub-sectors, while mentioning that ITDC currently manages 3 strategic areas, namely Nusa Dua, Labuan Bajo and Mandalika,” he affirmed.
Likewise, Gekraf Mataram City Chairman Viviana said, we at Gekraf Mataram have a desire to make Mataram City a center for a showcase of the creative economy, similar to the concept of the Malioboro area in Yogyakarta,” Viviana concluded. [traveltext.id]
