Indonesia: Lake Sentani Festival to help recover Jayapura’s economy

Sentani, The Gulf Observer: The 13th Lake Sentani Festival has become part of the Jayapura administration’s efforts to recover the district’s economy severely hit by the impacts of COVID-19, acting Head of Jayapura District Triwarno Purnomo stated.

“After two years of the pandemic life, we hope our economy will improve this year,” he noted regarding the three-day festival that ended on Friday.

The Lake Sentani Festival, held on July 5-7, was not only aimed at showcasing the vibrant and diverse cultures of native Papuan communities living near the lake but also for assisting the district government’s economic recovery efforts, he stated.

The festival has also helped local merchants from Jayapura and several other districts in Papua Province, including Keerom, sell their goods to visitors, he remarked.

Natalis, a tourist boat skipper, said he could earn income of between Rp500 thousand and Rp800 thousand during the festival while he just received around Rp100 thousand-Rp200 thousand daily on other days.

“The Lake Sentani Festival has helped me get much more money,” he remarked.