Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno recently addressed these topics in a webinar themed "Potential and Strategies for Developing Catholic Religious Tourism on Flores Island." He highlighted that East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in general and Flores Island in particular, have extraordinary potential and allure as religious and cultural tourism destinations. This is especially true with the inculturation between the Catholic Church and the local culture, offering spiritual experiences and magical allure to visitors on religious journeys to Flores Island.

"Flores Island in NTT is renowned for its Catholic history and heritage. It's often referred to as the Missionary Island. This island has tremendous potential for religious tourism, especially through the inculturation between the Catholic Church and the local community's culture. This potential is expected to enhance religious pilgrimage tourism, providing benefits to the community by not only driving economic growth but also preserving the culture and the longstanding tradition of inculturation of the Catholic Church," said Sandiaga.

To support the development of tourism in NTT, there are four annual events in 2024 listed in the National Events Calendar (KEN) of the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. Two of these events are themed around religion and culture, namely the Golokoe Festival in Labuan Bajo and the Bale Nagi Festival in Larantuka, both of which were already included in the KEN in 2023. The potential of religious pilgrimage tourism is expected to benefit the community by not only boosting economic growth but also nurturing culture and the Catholic tradition.

The NTT Annual Tourism Calendar also notes the regular organization of Catholic religious and cultural festivals and events on Flores Island every year, in addition to universal tourism-themed events. These include the Golokoe Festival, Semana Santa [Holy Week] inculturation event, the Lembah Kisol Festival and more.

Furthermore, promotions related to various religious destinations for pilgrimage and Catholic education are also being carried out. With no fewer than 2,710 Catholic churches scattered across Flores Island, future plans include developing these churches into Catholic pilgrimage routes.

Bishop of Ruteng Siprianus Hormat emphasized in a similar context that tourism should be built upon local culture roots and local spirituality.

"Tourism is essentially a pilgrimage, tracing the footsteps of God in the joyous encounter of humanity and the universe. Therefore, the diocese of Ruteng has designed and continues to promote holistic tourism in the region known as Bumi Congka Sae [the great Manggarai Earth] Flores, characterized by spirituality. Tourism must be built upon and evolve from local culture roots and local spirituality," said Siprianus.

The development of religious tourism in Indonesia itself is steeped in a long history and is closely linked to the vast religious and cultural diversity in the country. Aside from Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism, there are also local beliefs, each with sacred sites and pilgrimage traditions that have spanned centuries.

As the tourism sector grows and having been designated as a leading sector of the nation in 2016, religious pilgrimages have become a potential economic growth factor targeted by the government through diversification of tourism products. Pilgrimage activities attract visitors, leading to a ripple effect in service sectors like hotel and homestay occupancy, transportation, culinary experiences, digital transactions and souvenirs, making religious pilgrimages not only economically impactful but also crucial in preserving religious culture and traditions within the Indonesian context.

Myra Gunawan, founder and advisory board member of the Tourism Planning Master's Program at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), shared ideas about the development of Labuan Bajo and its surroundings on Flores Island. She noted that Flores Island has various resources supporting tourism, both natural and cultural, including non-business-related historical and religious resources that remain underutilized. Religious tourism on Flores could serve as a model for community-based tourism development.

"Religious tourism on Flores can be a model for community-based tourism development and vice versa, where there is tremendous potential, such as during Holy Week and the numerous pilgrimage sites built by Catholic missionaries and monks from west to east on Flores Island, which have become ingrained in the local community," Myra explained.

Myra also presented data on potential tourist markets with a special interest in Catholic religious tourism, including at least 8 million Catholics in Indonesia and over 100 million in neighboring countries, including 85 million in the Philippines, over 20 million in India, about 2 million in Singapore and 3 million in Malaysia.

In Indonesia, around 3 million of the 8 million Catholics are in NTT province, with the majority on Flores Island, which is the hub of the largest Catholic population in NTT. The religious event Semana Santa in Larantuka, Flores, NTT, is the largest Catholic religious event in Indonesia. Holy Week, is the week-long celebration leading up to Easter. During this week, Catholics commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There were 23,123 pilgrims during Semana Santa in Larantuka in 2024, consisting of 7,753 pilgrims from outside the Larantuka diocese and 15,460 from within the diocese. This marked a significant increase from the 2019 pre-COVID-19 visitation data of 8,028, considering that Semana Santa celebrations were suspended for three years during the pandemic.

The idea of religious tourism on Flores Island originates from its Catholic history and heritage, shaping Catholic culture and traditions on the island. Historical records show the significant role of Catholic missionaries in building a strong educational foundation, resulting in a quality workforce from Flores and producing many scholars and top philosophers.

"The Church's mission on Flores is not primarily about faith or Catholicizing Flores, but it's first and foremost a humanitarian mission. It's about helping the people of Flores emerge from illiteracy and gradually encouraging them to live healthy lives with inclusive values," as explained by Martin Chen, director of the Pastoral Center (Puspas) of Ruteng diocese.

He emphasized that holistic religious tourism is not just about showcasing sites or conducting rituals and events but rather unites Catholicism with Flores, elevating the totality of Catholicism on Flores. This enriches the educational experience of spiritual visitors and tourists.

With all the potential of Catholic religious tourism on Flores Island, it also presents challenges for the Catholic Church and related stakeholders to strengthen the differentiation or attractiveness between one destination and another by engaging other aspects. One such aspect is enhancing local uniqueness and distinctiveness, enriching visitors' spiritual experiences and tourism.

"In terms of religious tourism, diversification is essential. Diversification or offering distinct quality experiences to tourists can be achieved by strengthening cultural and local aspects, showcasing local wisdom. The stronger the local aspect, the more memorable and high-quality the tourist experience becomes. Quality tourism is not always about luxury," said Frans Teguh, acting president director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority Board (BPOLBF), outlining the ideas for developing the potential of Catholic Religious Tourism on Flores Island.

The Directorate General of Catholic Community Guidance of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as the body overseeing the implementation of religious life, expressed its commitment to continue collaborating with the diocese to improve human resources and take more concrete and impactful actions.

"Stakeholders need to come together and direct the development of the 3A components—attractions, accessibility, and amenities—towards Flores to address various challenges in the tourism sector. We at the Catholic Community Guidance will certainly work with the Bishops and take part in the policies made by the diocese, especially in the field of human resource improvement and taking concrete actions on a smaller but impactful scale," he concluded.