Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno urged local authorities to consolidate the potential of Kole Sawangan Village in Tana Toraja District, South Sulawesi Province, that can create job opportunities and boost the regional economy.

As a pioneer tourism village in the region, Kole Sawangan is ready to welcome tourists that could enjoy attractive places and arts offered by the village, Uno remarked.

“Quick action on the part of the Tana Toraja District authority to issue the directive designating the tourism village status highlighted the necessity of collaboration among stakeholders to enhance the tourism village,” the minister stated during his visit to the tourism village, as quoted from a press statement in Jakarta on Sunday (Nov 21).

Kole Sawangan, despite only applying for the tourism village status four months ago, successfully ranked among the top 50 tourism villages for the 2021 Indonesian Tourism Village Award, he remarked.

Attractions related to the culture and customs offered by the village is a plus point that could make Kole Sawangan popular among tourists, Uno remarked.

The minister pointed out that the Kole Sawangan Village had hosted one of the oldest Tongkonan — the traditional house of native Torajan People — in Tana Toraja. The Tongkonan could be traced back to the 13th century and was reconstructed in the 1940s after a fire broke out in 1939.

Tourists could observe various weaving and beads arts produced by local women in front of the Tongkonan, especially since the regional government had also designated Kole Sawangan Village as a hub for creative economy and traditional crafts, he stated.

The Saluliang cliff tomb, considered one of the oldest of its kind in Tana Toraja and functional since 1215, is another place of interest offered by the village, Uno noted.

Visitors could also observe various traditional art performances in Kole Sawangan Village, such as the Pa’gellu dance often performed in customary rituals to express joy and happiness, he added.

Apart from traditional weaving and beads arts, the tourism village also offered Pokko Coffee, a local arabica coffee variant planted by local residents and roasted by traditional tools that left a distinct taste and aroma, the minister remarked.

With various attractions that Kole Sawangan Village can offer to tourists, Uno is sanguine that the village would become a popular tourism destination in the region.

“We will collaborate with tourism and creative economy actors to initiate an international event to introduce Tana Toraja as the second featured tourism destination after Bali,” the minister remarked.

Source: Antara News