VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOI News, Jakarta: Gorontalo provincial government, Indonesia is holding the Whale Shark Festival 2024 in Botubarani Tourism Village, Bone Bolango regency, on Saturday in commemoration of International Whale Shark Day celebrated every August 30.

As quoted by Antara News Agency on Saturday (31/8), the festival features a variety of activities, including a micro, small, and medium enterprises bazaar, a kids' coloring competition, fish grilling, and the handover of fish aggregating devices to the host village.

In the government's statement cited in Gorontalo, Head of the Tourism Office of Gorontalo, Ariyanto Husain, pointed out that the festival, being held for the first time, also aims to boost the province's tourism sector.

"Whale sharks in Botubarani Village have been the icon of special interest tourism in Gorontalo Province. We are holding a festival this year in an attempt to promote the village's appeal apart from activities related to whale sharks," he conveyed.

He then pointed to limited activities carried out in the Botubarani waters, as the area is designated as a conservation zone.

Husain further  remarked that the provincial government had been encouraging residents to make the most of the region's tourism appeal while focusing on environmental sustainability.

"Hopefully, we will be able to continue to promote this festival and make improvements in its subsequent editions in the following years," he  explained.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of Gorontalo Acting Governor Rudy Salahuddin, an official from the Gorontalo Regional Secretariat, Yosef Koton, expressed hope that the province would continue to bear witness to the festival in the years to come.

He also underlined the need for all relevant stakeholders to work creatively and make innovations to bring progress to Gorontalo's tourism sector.

Citing data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the tourism sector has contributed only 2.4 percent to the province's regional gross domestic product.

"Bearing that in mind, we must work together. It is vital that we develop our whale shark tourism the way East Nusa Tenggara's Labuan Bajo, North Sulawesi's Likupang, and other tourism destinations are promoted," he stressed.