Temanggung - The Tlilir Art and Culture Festival titled "From Village to the World" is expected to become a new tourism attraction for Temanggung Regency while supporting the central government's efforts to achieve the target of 1.2-1.4 billion domestic tourist movements this year.
The inaugural festival, which took place on September 1-3, 2023 in Tlilir Village, Tlogomulyo District, Temanggung Regency, Central Java, is unique because of its location with the Sumbing mountain peak in the background.
Not only that, the venue for the stage and audience is on the roofs of residents' houses which are usually used to dry tobacco. As is known, Temanggung is a tobacco-producing area and Tlilir is also known as the best tobacco-producing village with Srintil tobacco as its flagship product.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that in line with the development of arts and culture, Tlilir continues to proclaim itself as a tobacco village.
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Kemenparekraf / Baparekraf) also supports the organization of the '1st Tlilir Art & Culture Festival' which is a tourism-based and community-driven hallmark event.
"I hope that with the support and collaboration of various parties, the Tlilir Art & Culture Festival will become an unforgettable moment for all participants and visitors," said the Menparekraf in his virtual speech, quoted Sunday (3/9/2023).
Head of the Public Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, I Gusti Ayu Dewi Hendriyani in her remarks at the festival location on Saturday (2/9/2023) said that events such as cultural festivals are part of the 3A (Access, Attraction, Amenity) and are an important element to advance the tourism sector and creative economy in Indonesia.
He also assessed that the Tlilir festival event is a form of innovation and adaptation to the changing trends in post-pandemic tourist attitudes in traveling which are personalized, customized, localized and smaller in size.
"Post-pandemic tourists tend to prefer outdoor or outdoor tourism activities and the atmosphere in Tlilir is suitable for the development of ecotourism-based villages," she said.
Dewi added, Kemenparekraf appreciates and encourages the sustainability of the Tlilir Art & Culture Festival event and invites all tourism stakeholders to collaborate.
"We hope that this festival is sustainable so that it can become an annual event in Central Java and especially in Temanggung, and can bring many visitors from various regions. So, in the end, it will be able to support the achievement of the target of 1.2-1.4 billion tourist movements in 2023," she explained.
"We at the ministry will support from the aspects of publication, promotion and other support," Dewi added.
Head of the Temanggung Regency Tourism and Culture Office Hendra Sumaryana added, in addition to improving accessibility, his party will strive to make the festival event more widely known to the outside community so that the multiplier effect is not only felt in the district but nationally.
"Temanggung has two unique and global things, namely tobacco and coffee. This event is also a part that can be 'sold' and promoted," he said.
Tlilir Village Head Fatur Rohman revealed that the natural beauty and global tobacco are an attraction not only for tourists but also foreign tourists.
According to him, tourists who have come to Tlilir village include those from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Australia. For tourists who want to stay overnight, Tlilir village currently also has 12 homestays.
Involving the Local Community
The 1st Tlilir Art and Culture Festival organized by Heavenly Indonesia, Tlilir Village Government and Travelita-Temanggung Tourism Activists, received full support from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
This festival narrates 'Tlilir: Tobacco, Tradition and Destiny', as well as campaigning for 'Sustainability & Eco-Friendly Event', where various ornaments and decorations of the event venue are entirely made of bamboo.
For three days, a series of events were held, including an ethnic music concert with a line-up of Irene Ghea x Arlida Putri, Orkes Sinten Remen, and Jogja Hip Hop Foundation.
There was also an outdoor fashion show from national and local designers with the theme of ordinary traveling. Visitors can also enjoy musical dramas involving local residents ranging from students to the elderly.
There will also be a lumping horse festival and an MSME festival featuring Temanggung culinary specialties, tobacco handicrafts and fashion products.
Ridlo Amiruddin, Director of Digra Sinergi Harsa as the organizer of the Tlilir Art & Culture Festival, said that the event, which will be held annually, is a folk art and cultural party based on community-based tourism.
"We pay a lot of attention to local wisdom, for example for the outdoor Fashion Show, we work with youths from Karang Taruna, PKK mothers and Women Farmers Group. We educated them in just three days but the results were quite satisfying on the catwalk," he said.
Ridlo added, for next year's organization, his party will still maintain a commitment to build events based on sustainable tourism and will synergize more with stakeholders.
"For next year's event organizers, we will submit the schedule in July so that there will be a series of events on the slopes of mountains on the island of Java, such as the 7 Mountain Festival and the Dieng Culture Festival. This is important, so that adventure and special interest tourists grow," he concluded. (photo: Agus Siswanto/InfoPublik)