Culture must become a source of economy and creative industry: Minister

Culture Minister Fadli Zon has said culture must become a source of economy and of the cultural and creative industry so that its existence is not seen as a burden.

“I think that in the future our culture should not become a burden. Culture is a source of the cultural economy, a source of the cultural industry, and also, in current terminology, what is called CCI, Cultural and Creative Industry,” Fadli said at the Awards Night for Winners of the ‘Aku dan Budayaku’ Creative Video Content Competition at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta on Monday.

Fadli said the Cultural and Creative Industry (CCI) has become an international term that demonstrates the economic potential of cultural development.

“Abroad, museums generate fantastic, extraordinary revenues,” he said.

Fadli cited the Palace of Versailles in France as an example. According to him, the museum can receive around 30,000 visitors a day with a ticket price of around 65 euros.

“So 30,000 times 65 euros, let us say 65 euros is 1 million rupiah, that is already 30 billion from tickets alone, from tickets alone. One day, not one month,” Fadli said.

According to Fadli, the scale of this potential shows that museums and cultural heritage sites can provide economic benefits if they are managed and developed properly.

The government continues to make improvements to museums, including in terms of exhibition layout, literacy, narrative, display and collections, so that they are increasingly attractive to the public.

“I think the National Museum already has an increasingly good international standard and we continue to improve it from time to time,” he said.

Fadli said the government is also continuing to improve a number of cultural heritage sites, including Borobudur and Prambanan. Improvements are also being made to various other heritage sites such as temples, forts, mosques, churches, viharas, as well as historical and prehistoric heritage sites.

“We are also creative, we invite the private sector, corporations and philanthropists to join forces together to advance our national culture,” Fadli said.

Fadli expressed hope that the management of museums and cultural heritage sites can develop as part of the cultural ecosystem while providing economic benefits to the community.