TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, is aiming to have Gorontalo Regency included in the UNESCO Creative Cities network. To achieve this goal, Sandiaga invited local governments and creative economy players to strengthen their collaboration.

"These efforts take into account Gorontalo Regency's creative economy potential through culinary delights, which can act as a driver for other creative economy sub-sectors," Sandiaga said in an official statement quoted on Tuesday, February 27.

Sandiaga said Gorontalo had a progressive mindset in 2018 when it underwent a review process facilitated by his ministry, which resulted in the selection of culinary as the regency's locomotive sub-sector.

"Having been designated as a National Creative District, the next step is to propose Gorontalo as a UNESCO Creative City District".

By working with local governments, Sandiaga said, Gorontalo's creative economy products can become increasingly known globally. It is expected that the creative economy ecosystem in Gorontalo will be stronger.

"There are many benefits that Gorontalo can gain by becoming part of the world's network of creative cities. In addition to the sustainability and preservation of local culinary delights, it will also indirectly become an effective promotional tool," said Sandiaga.

A UNESCO designation will automatically provide opportunities for districts/cities to network and build communities with similar cities in other countries around the world. For this reason, Sandiaga said the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is committed to supporting Gorontalo's creative economy stakeholders through various programs, starting with training, access to capital, and marketing.

The Regent of the Regency of Gorontalo, Nelson Pomalingo, welcomed the initiative to make the Regency of Gorontalo a UNESCO Creative City. "I hope this will be a driving force for our economy," he said.

The Creative Cities Network is a UNESCO flagship program launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that recognize culture and creativity as strategic drivers of sustainable urban development. As of 2022, nearly 300 cities from 90 countries had joined the network, including the Indonesian cities of Pekalongan, Bandung, Jakarta, Ambon and Solo.

VINDRY FLORENTIN

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