Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, emphasized that the nation’s Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTbI) has potential beyond global recognition — it can also be used as an effective tool to foster the creative economy in the country. He explained that by rebranding traditional cultural elements, such as Indonesia’s diverse culinary heritage, as intangible cultural heritage, these cultural assets gain additional value and can stimulate local economic activity. According to Fadli, when local communities become more aware of their cultural heritage, such heritage can positively impact the economic development of those regions. The Ministry of Culture is strengthening cooperation with cultural preservation institutes, universities, and local governments to support this effort, and art performances rebranded as heritage can be seen not just as shows but as cultural assets with economic significance.
To ensure that once heritage is officially recognized it continues to support sustainable cultural ecosystems, Fadli highlighted the importance of ongoing programs following official designation. This includes routine documentation of intangible cultural heritage — through books, websites, photos, and videos — to centralize records instead of allowing them to be scattered. Experts involved in the WBTbI program also hope that it will become a platform for sharing best practices that help preserve cultural traditions so they remain “living traditions” within society, and that successful examples from one region can be shared with others. Fadli stressed that intangible cultural heritage should not just be a form of registration, but a part of national recognition that local communities can celebrate, and he hopes the program will expand further in the coming year.
