Sumenep expands tourism villages to support local economy

Sumenep (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Sumenep District is expanding its tourism village program to 50 villages to boost local economies and support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), a local tourism official said on Thursday.

Sumenep Culture, Youth, Sports and Tourism Office Head Faruk Hanafi said each village is being developed according to its distinctive tourism potential.

"Initially, only 27 villages committed to developing their rural economies through tourism. As the program progressed, the number increased to 50," Faruk said.

He said most participating villages offer diverse natural attractions, making nature-based tourism the main focus of development.

Faruk cited Lobuk Village in Bluto Subdistrict, known for its peaceful beach and popular shore-fishing spots.

The village has upgraded public facilities and tourism infrastructure to improve visitor experience and attract more tourists, he said.

Besides natural attractions, several villages are promoting tourism based on their cultural heritage.

One leading example is Aengtongtong Village in Saronggi Subdistrict, which is renowned for its traditional keris craftsmanship.

Visitors can watch local craftsmen produce keris daggers through every stage, from forging and shaping to final finishing.

"While Lobuk Village develops nature-based tourism, Aengtongtong promotes its cultural heritage through keris tourism," Faruk said.

Faruk said Aengtongtong is home to about 446 active empu, or traditional keris smiths, believed to be the world's largest concentration of such artisans.

The village is closely associated with UNESCO's recognition of the keris as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Aengtongtong also won first place in the Visitor Attraction category at Indonesia's 2022 Tourism Village Awards (ADWI).

The district government is committed to preserving and further developing the village as one of Sumenep's flagship cultural tourism destinations.

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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

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