Indonesia Boosts Cultural Development Through Tourism, Creative Economy

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is strengthening efforts to advance cultural development through tourism, the creative economy, and sports. The initiative was highlighted during a discussion between the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon and former Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sapta Nirwandar in Jakarta, Monday, April 13, 2026.

The meeting focused on expanding cultural-based development across multiple sectors. Both sides agreed that culture can serve as a foundation for tourism, creative industries, and even sports tourism initiatives.

Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration. He noted that cultural development must be integrated from upstream to downstream to maximize its impact.

“We work from upstream to downstream, and tourism should pass through us. Therefore, we want to improve various cultural potentials, including palaces and royal heritage sites across Indonesia,” Fadli said.

He also underlined the strategic importance of intellectual property in managing cultural assets. According to him, developing high-quality derivative cultural products can generate economic value while preserving authenticity.

“If we can develop high-quality cultural products, they will not just be ordinary souvenirs, but professionally reproduced items involving local artisans,” he said.

Sapta Nirwandar proposed expanding international collaboration through cultural initiatives. “Bamboo-based crafts, for example, have great potential as part of both cultural preservation and creative industry development,” he said.

The discussion also covered religious and cultural tourism, including Borobudur and Prambanan temples, as well as sport-based tourism such as Tour de Singkarak and Borobudur Marathon. Both parties agreed to continue coordination to develop strategies that can drive economic growth through culture.