PESONA PARIWISATA BUDAYA DI NTT: MENJELAJAHI TRADISI DAN KEINDAHAN TIMUR INDONESIA

Abstract

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is a province in Indonesia with a rich and diverse culture and traditions. This uniqueness makes NTT a cultural tourism destination with great potential for development. This study aims to identify cultural tourism potential, analyze traditional values ​​that are the identity of the community, and examine the opportunities and challenges for developing cultural tourism in NTT. The method used is a descriptive qualitative approach through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The results show that NTT has various interesting cultural assets, such as the Pasola traditional ceremony, ikat weaving, traditional houses, traditional dances, and various oral traditions that are still preserved. This potential is supported by natural beauty such as Lake Kelimutu and Komodo Island, which strengthen the region's tourist appeal. However, the development of cultural tourism still faces challenges such as limited infrastructure, quality of human resources, and the risk of cultural commercialization. Therefore, collaboration between the government, indigenous communities, and tourism actors is needed to realize the development of sustainable cultural tourism based on local cultural preservation.