Indonesian Miniature Park (TMII) in Jakarta on Friday opened the 2010 Archipelago Museum Festival, aiming to increase public interest in museums and the country's culture and history.
The year-long festival, also held as part of the government-initiated 2010 Visit Museum Year program, is expected to attract visitors with various programs, including workshops, seminars, competitions, talk shows and book fairs, run regularly at the park's 17 museums.
TMII president director Sugiono said he hoped the event would attract more people to put museums on their list of must-visit tourist destinations.
"Many people today, especially youths, are reluctant to visit museums, even if someone pays them to do it," he said.
"We expect this event to be a magnet for the public to visit museums and see view them in a fun light."
Among the well-known museums in TMII are the Museum of Indonesia, Museum of Science and Technology Modeling, Bayt Al-Quran Museum and Museum of Soldiers.
Data from the park operator, however, shows the museums have attracted far less visitors than the park's other features, like recreational facilities and provinces pavilions.
During the festival, the theme park is offering visitors a 50 percent discount on entrance fees. It is also running a road show at schools and public communities to promote the event.
"We will happily arrange a special tour for groups of students or visitors who confirm their schedule to us a few days before," Arief Djoko Budiono, the TMII official heading the festival, said.
Inaugurated in 1975, the 100-hectare TMII is a culture-based recreational area, which features structures representing various aspects of Indonesian life and tradition, including pavilions of Indonesian provinces, religious buildings, parks, recreational facilities and museums.
Last year, TMII attracted 4 million visitors. The festival, along with other programs, is expected to boost the number of visitors to 7 million this year, Arief said.
According to data from the Tourism and Culture Ministry, Indonesia attracted 6.46 million foreign visitors in 2009, a slight increase from 6.2 million visitors a year earlier.
At the end of 2009, the ministry launched the 2010 Visit Museum Year, expecting the program to help achieve its target of attracting 7 million foreign visitors and having 230 million domestic tourist trips this year.
Asep Kambali, the founder of Komunitas Historia Indonesia, a history enthusiast group, expressed support for the program, but reminded the government to ensure all preparations were done, especially by refurbishing all museums.
"The ministry may urge people to visit museums, but the question is are the museums ready to be visited?" Asep told The Jakarta Post.
Asep also urged the ministry to not only rely on media coverage but to also run a massive online campaign to promote its program.
"The ministry, for example, can campaign through Facebook or cooperate with established cyber-communities that have loyal members."
