Cultural Heritage Serves as Charm for Tourism: Minister

Jakarta (Antara) - Cultural heritage if preserved and developed by the government and the local communities will serve as a charm for the country's tourism, a cabinet minister said. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu made the remarks in the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Sunday. "Cultural heritage will continue to serve as a charm for tourism as long as it is protected, preserved and appreciated by visitors and developed for the benefit of the local communities," she said. The minister said that the local communities should also gain benefit from the development of cultural heritage, particularly from the development of human resources and its multiplier effect in such sector as culinary business, souvenir and hotel businesses. She said that local cultures could also be developed by protecting original and traditional matters for obtaining appreciations from many people. "In telling about cultural heritage, it is important to reveal creative people who once lived in Indonesia in the past era and those who are still living nowadays," she said. She said that the greatness of the Borobudur Temple which has been recognized by the UNESCO as a world's cultural heritage did not only serve as the biggest Buddhist temple in the world but also as the legacy of the Indonesian people's creativity that had taken place since the ninth century. The minister said that productive and creative human resources in Indonesia made creative economy as a source of new competitiveness for the country. (*)