MP States "Banyumas Ngibing" as Driver of Cultural Tourism
Banyumas (ANTARA) - Member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Mukaromah, believes that the “Banyumas Ngibing 24 Jam Menari” activity can serve as a driver for cultural tourism while strengthening efforts to preserve traditional arts in Banyumas Regency, Central Java.
During the opening of the “Banyumas Ngibing 24 Jam Menari” event at the Pendopo Adipati Marapat in Banyumas Subdistrict, Banyumas Regency, on Saturday, Siti stated that culture plays an important role in building regional identity and is part of the ecosystem for tourism development.
According to her, the implementation of the event, coinciding with National Education Day, also serves as a momentum to instil national values, creativity, and love for culture among the younger generation through dance arts.
She said that the event, now in its second year, demonstrates the consistency of artists, cultural figures, and the community in nurturing local culture to keep it alive amid the changing times.
She appreciated all the dancers, crew, and parties supporting the organisation of the event, including Banyumas-born dance maestro Rianto, who is the initiator of the event.
She hopes that all participants who will dance in turns for 24 hours non-stop can carry out the activity healthily and achieve a proud record for Banyumas as well as Indonesia.
After the opening, the legislator, affectionately known as Mbak Erma, said that “Banyumas Ngibing” serves as a space for artistic expression for talents from various regions in Indonesia, even joined by dancers from abroad, thus having the potential to develop into a national and international cultural agenda.
According to her, culture is also closely linked to the tourism sector, especially after the issuance of Law No. 18 of 2025 on Tourism, which positions culture as part of the national tourism ecosystem.
“Culture is one of the ecosystems in tourism. Therefore, we must preserve, develop, and enliven culture to strengthen Indonesian tourism,” she said.
Meanwhile, Director of Cultural Values Empowerment and Intellectual Wealth Facilitation at the Directorate General of Cultural Protection and Tradition of the Ministry of Culture, I Made Dharma Suteja, appreciated the implementation of “Banyumas Ngibing” because it is deemed to encompass various important aspects in advancing culture.
According to him, the event not only presents elements of preservation but also protection, development, utilisation, and nurturing of culture, which form the foundation in maintaining the sustainability of traditions.
“We fully give high appreciation to Mas Rianto as the initiator of this event. In our view, activities like this have very high values because they are carried out by the local community,” he said.
He stated that the involvement of the younger generation in the event also shows that the cultural inheritance process is running well, thus becoming an important asset in maintaining the continuity of traditional arts in the future.
The “Banyumas Ngibing 24 Jam Menari” event is participated in by dancers from Banyumas as well as various other regions who take turns performing dances for 24 hours non-stop as a form of celebration of arts and preservation of Nusantara culture.