Disbudpar Batam – Ketua Dewan Kerajinan Nasional Daerah (Dekranasda) Kota Batam, Marlin Agustina Rudi, meminta Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata (Disbudpar) Kota Batam mengembangkan homestay di Pulau Ngenang, Nongsa. Tujuannya, untuk mengenalkan budaya masyarakat Ngenang kepada wisatawan, baik domestik maupun mancanegara.
“Bekerja sama dengan Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Kota Batam, kita kembangkan homestay. Nanti turis bisa menginap di rumah penduduk, sekaligus mengenal budaya masyarakat Ngenang,” katanya, saat kunjungan bersama Analis Kebijakan Utama Kementerian Dalam Negeri (Kemendagri), Nata Irawan dan Pimpinan Yayasan Nona Asri Indonesia, Amanah Asri, Rabu (12/1/2021).
“Saya berterima kasih kepada Pemko (Pemerintah Kota) yang sangat mendukung kami dan masyarakat Pulau Ngenang yang telah ikut mengembangkan pulau ini,” ujarnya.
Pulau Ngenang, kata dia, punya lokasi yang strategis serta tak begitu jauh dengan pusat kota sehingga akses ke kawasan ini mudah dijangkau.
“Batam merupakan pulau yang luas di Kepri, serta memiliki banyak pulau terluar yang berdekatan langsung dengan Singapura dan Malaysia, sehingga menjadi potensi untuk dikembangkan wisatanya. Ngenang merupakan salah satu kawasan pengembangan wisata selanjutnya,” terangnya.
Pulau Ngenang dikenal dengan pembuatan kain tenun dan kain batik Batam, sehingga dapat mengangkat ekonomi warga setempat. Dalam kunjungannya tersebut, Marlin juga menyempatkan melihat pembuatan Sarak Terong, salah satu masakan khas Melayu yang hingga kini masih menjadi masakan yang disajikan di acara kenduri atau pesta.
“Kita juga akan mengangkat wisata kuliner di Ngenang,” ujar dia.
Kepala Disbudpar Kota Batam, Ardiwinata, mengatakan akan segera merealisasikan inisiasi Ketua Dekranasda Kota Batam yakni menjadikan Pulau Ngenang sebagai tujuan wisata.
Sebelumnya, Disbudpar juga sudah menggelar pelatihan tentang homestay kepada pelaku pariwisata.
“Siap, kita laksanakan untuk menggairahkan kembali pariwisata dan meningkatkan ekonomi warga,” ucapnya.
Ardi juga menyampaikan, akan terus mempromosikan dan mengembangkan Pulau Ngenang dan daerah lainnya. “Setiap daerah di Kota Batam memiliki ciri khas wisatanya masing-masing, kita akan terus promosikan,” katanya.
Analis Kebijakan Utama Kementerian Dalam Negeri (Kemendagri), Nata Irawan, melihat Pulau Ngenang berpotensi untuk dikembangkan sebagai destinasi wisata.
Ia menyarankan, pengembangan homestay dan industri tenun serta batik, juga dapat lebih dikembangkan dengan menjalin komunikasi dengan pemerintah. “Membuat surat kepada Pemerintah Kota Batam agar memfasilitasi dan memudahkan berkomunikasi dengan kementerian, di antaranya Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf), Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendikbud),” terangnya.
The Head of the Regional National Craft Council Asks the Culture and Tourism Department to Develop Homestay on Ngenang Island
The Culture and Tourism Department of Batam City – The Head of Batam City Regional National Craft Council, Marlin Agustina Rudi, asked the Culture and Tourism Department of Batam City to develop a homestay on Ngenang Island, Nongsa. The aim is to introduce the culture of the Ngenang community to tourists, both domestic and foreign.
“In collaboration with the Culture and Tourism Department of Batam City, we will developing a homestay. Tourists can stay at residents’ houses later, and get to know the culture of the Ngenang community,” she said during the visiting, with the Main Policy Analyst of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Nata Irawan and the Chairman of Nona Asri Indonesia Foundation, Amanah Asri, on Wednesday (12/1/2021).
“I thank to the City Government who really supporting us and the Ngenang Island community who join us to develop this island,” she said.
Ngenang Island, she said, has a strategic location and not too far from the downtown, so the access to this area is easy to reach.
“Batam is a wide island in Riau Islands, also it has many outer islands which are directly close to Singapore and Malaysia, so the tourism become a potential to be developed. Ngenang is the next tourism development area,” she explained.
Ngenang Island is known for the manufacture of a woven and Batam’s batik, so it can raise the economy of the local community. During her visit, Marlin also took the time to see the making of Sarak Terong, one of the typical of Malay dishes which is still be the dish for festival or parties.
“We will also raise culinary tourism in Ngenang,” she said.
The Head of Batam City Culture and Tourism Department, Ardiwinata said that he will realize the initiation from the Head of Batam City Regional National Craft Council which is to make Ngenang Island become a tourists destination.
Previously, the Culture and Tourism Department of Batam City has also held a homestay training for tourism stakeholders.
“Alright! We will do it to revive the tourism and increasing the community economy,” he said.
Ardi also said that he will keep promoting and developing Ngenang Island and other area. “Every tourist destination area in Batam City has their own character, we will keep promoting them,” he said.
The Main Policy Analyst of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Nata Irawan, observed that Ngenang Island has a potential to be developed as a tourist dentination.
He suggested that homestay, weaving and batik development, also can be developed by estabilishing communication with the government. “Send a letter to the Batam City Government to facilitating communication with the ministries, including the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Ministry of Education and Culture,” he explained.
