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Flores Aims to Be Top Catholic Tourism Destination in Indonesia
Front Row (The Jakarta Post) July 10, 2024
Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority (BPOLBF).
The Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority (BPOLBF) aims to develop Flores Island as the premier Catholic tourism destination in Indonesia, in collaboration with stakeholders including the Archdiocese of Ende, the Diocese of Larantuka, the Diocese of Maumere, the Diocese of Ruteng and the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, as well as the tourism offices of nine local districts.
This vision emerged at a focus group discussion (FGD) held virtually on Jul. 5, 2024 to explore potentials and strategies for developing Flores’s tourism sector to attract Catholic travelers. The FGD also aimed to generate concrete ideas and actions to enhance the island's appeal toward a goal to boost the local economy, enhance the community’s well-being as well as to spiritually enrich visitors’ experience.
The discussion fostered cross-stakeholder collaboration in developing religious tourism activity centers, creating a management model for religious tourism destinations, integrating Catholic pilgrimage routes, providing travel patterns and maps for Catholic pilgrimage tours and organizing national and international religious events.
BPOLBF’s Acting President Director Frans Teguh emphasized Flores's strong potential for developing religious tourism, highlighting its rich history and Catholic heritage, combined with local cultures and customs.
The island boasts over 2,710 churches, historic monasteries, pilgrimage sites like Gua Maria Fatima Watuwea and numerous seminaries.
"We have strong assets in cultural and religious potential that are deeply rooted in Flores. We hope this will be a foundation for concrete development, such as improving amenities around religious activity centers and creating travel maps. This FGD was organized to unite our strengths, represented by the dioceses across Flores, to energize and maintain spiritual, conservation, sociocultural and holistic tourism values," Frans said.
Reverend Marthin Chen, director of the Ruteng Diocese’s Social Fund Management Center (Puspas), said humanity, religiosity and tourism were interconnected, making religious tourism a viable development, especially for Flores.
"Tourism is essentially a pilgrimage to trace God's footsteps in the beauty of nature and human encounters. This spiritual and historical journey is a rich Catholic heritage that can support the development of Catholic pilgrimage tourism, helping pilgrims find traces of God in their lives and surroundings," said Marthin.
Rev. Yakobus Donnisius Migo from the Maumere Diocese, Rev. Eduardus Jebarus from the Larantuka Diocese and Rev. Rofinus Marius Muga from the Ende Archdiocese also shared the tourism potentials of their dioceses, including historic churches, prayer parks, Maria caves, religious retreats and festivals like Larantuka’s Semana Santa.
The collaboration aims to create new Catholic events with unique local characteristics by leveraging existing local potentials and generate sustainable religious events by strengthening destination narratives, enhancing human resources through training and certification, preparing communities for eco-homestays and developing local gastronomy. These activities will boost the local economy through increased hotel occupancy and spending on food and beverage as well as social activities.
While summarizing the inputs gathered at the FGD, BPOLBF public communication head Sisilia Jemana said the tourism board and the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry were pushing Flores’s development as Indonesia’s top Catholic tourism destination. The BPOLBF and ministry planned to develop Catholic tourism maps and a calendar of events for Flores in coordination with various stakeholders, to strengthen the island's branding and build a sustainable tourism ecosystem.
"Together, we will harness existing potential and strengthen Flores' branding as the top Catholic tourism destination in Indonesia while exploring and developing all available potentials,” Sisilia said.
“The BPOLBF will soon draft a Catholic tourism map for Flores, coordinating with local governments, tourism offices and dioceses to further reinforce Flores's branding as the primary destination for Catholic pilgrims. Through collaboration and synergy, we can achieve this," she emphasized.
Moderated by West Manggarai Journalists Association chair Marselus Pahun, the FGD welcomed 58 participants, including representatives from tourism offices, academics, researchers, anthropologists and tourism advocates from across Flores.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com
