Deputy Minister: Creative Trip Concept Adds Economic Value Through Experience

Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar stated that the creative trip concept is a new approach that can be applied in regions to strengthen the local creative economy through authentic experiences that directly engage with the community and have the potential to add economic value to the area. ‘A creative trip provides added value because it encourages people to come, learn, understand, and fall in love with the region,’ Irene said in a statement received on Thursday. She noted that this concept can be implemented in festivals that highlight local culture, involving the local community in strategies for cultural promotion, regional potential, and the acceleration of the creative economy. She therefore appreciated the initiative of students from Tidore in Yogyakarta who organised the festival as an extension to introduce the creative potential of their region. The series of activities included a National Creative Economy Seminar (Kalesang Kota), a Nusantara Art Stage, a Creative Gossip Talkshow, and a Nusantara MSME Harvest Market, designed as a space for interaction and expanding the market for regional creative economy products in sectors such as culinary, crafts, and fashion. Fando, Steering Committee for the Creative Programme of the Toadore Festival Yogyakarta, explained that the festival has been held regularly since 2023. The choice of Yogyakarta as the venue was based on its position as a cultural hub that brings together diverse communities from across the archipelago. ‘The event’s name is taken from the old Tidore language, Tuadore, which means ’I have arrived’. Through the theme Tidore Greets Yogyakarta: From the Spice Island to the City of Culture, we aim to present Tidore’s culture as part of Indonesia’s diversity while introducing it to a wider audience,’ Fando said. Through the creative trip concept, the government is encouraging culture-based festivals to become drivers of local economic activity capable of increasing tourist visits, expanding the marketing of MSME products, and creating added value for the community.