The Central Sulawesi Provincial Government has made the Tampo Lore Festival one of the activities to introduce tourism in Poso Regency.
"Let's make this activity an event to raise megalithic tourism to the world level," said Head of the Central Sulawesi Culture Office, Andi Kamalemba at the opening of the Tampo Lore Festival at the Pokekea Megalithic Site, Hanggira Village, Poso Regency, Friday.
He said that the Tampo Lore Festival is not just a cultural performance, but a real manifestation of commitment to promoting culture and tourism at the national and international levels.
"The megaliths in the Behoa Valley that are already widely known still need to be promoted as a high-value tourist destination. That way it will provide an economic impact for the local community," he said.
He added that the government, through the flagship program 9 Berani, continues to encourage the community so that holding cultural festivals is not only an entertainment event, but also brings economic value to residents.
Meanwhile, Head of the Poso Tourism Office, Yusak Mentara, said that the Volunteers of People and Nature (ROA) as the festival organizers demonstrated their strong commitment to promoting culture and tourism at the national and world levels.
"We appreciate ROA for consistently holding the Tampo Lore festival for the fourth year," said Yusak.
Yusak explained that the Tampo Lore Festival is a manifestation of the identity of the Tampo Lore community which emphasizes two main elements, namely culture and nature.
"Tampo Lore is not only rich in natural resources, but also has a very old cultural tradition," he said.
Representative of the Cultural Preservation Center, Muhammad Tan, invited all Poso residents, especially in Tampo Lore, to work together to preserve the cultural heritage spread across the Behoa Valley.
He said that currently his party is trying to encourage recognition of ancient traditions in Tampo Lore as a world cultural heritage.
"This requires collective work from all parties, from the government, activists, indigenous peoples, to the wider community," Tan stressed.
The Head of the Tampo Lore Festival Committee, Rexy, reported that the festival will run until June 29, 2025 with activities to enliven the festival, ranging from bamboo music competitions, local food parades, craft exhibitions, film discussions, to megalithic explorations.
