Heaptalk, Jakarta — Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno appreciated the Quantum Temple-Water Civilization program, launched in April 2024 at Tirta Empul Temple in Manukaya Let Village, Tampaksiring District, Gianyar Regency, Bali. This program has positively impacted the enhancement of quality and sustainable tourism.
“There has been an increase in visits as well as revenue. This is driven by the use of innovation and technology focused on cultural preservation, ensuring that the temple (Tirta Empul) is well-maintained for future generations,” said Sandiaga during an event titled “Water Civilization Impact on Cultural Heritage Preservation” at The St. Regis Bali Resort, Jakarta, recently.
The Water Civilization program combines installations, digital exhibitions, and tour guide training in Manukaya Let Village, supported by blockchain-based ticketing infrastructure. This program offers an innovative approach to addressing the issue of limited tourism revenue circulating within the local economy.
Through this program, tourists better understand Tirta Empul Temple, one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. They are also introduced to the unique Melukat ritual involving the local community. Sandi said, “This demonstrates that tourism managed with regenerative principles creates more jobs and higher-quality ones, which is highly needed by the community. This has already become one of the site visits we offer at the World Water Forum.”
Participated by over 500 tourists
Since its launch about 1.5 months ago, more than 500 tourists have participated in this program. It has also created business and job opportunities for the local community. “We discussed making this a benchmark for other sites, not only in Bali but throughout Indonesia, thus fostering partnerships and increasing the sustainable impact of tourism,” Sandi added.
Meanwhile, the Founder and CEO of Quantum Temple, Linda Adami, explained some tangible impacts of this program, including the training and development of Manukaya Let tour guides with hotel management skills, enabling them to earn better income. “The training provided allows Manukaya Let tour guides to maintain and pass on their knowledge from generation to generation, offering comprehensive insights into the history of Tirta Empul and the Melukat ritual to both domestic and international tourists,” said Linda.
Quantum Temple-trained tour guides are reaching international tourists from Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and Europe. Linda mentioned that they plan to expand the program to other cultural sites in Indonesia, starting with other sites in Gianyar Regency, Labuan Bajo, and Borobudur.
Quantum Temple’s Operations Manager, Dewa Noproyasa, stated that the tour guides from Manukaya Let Village are earning stable incomes at least three times higher than the minimum wage. “Additionally, the program has improved queue management and visitor behavior during the Melukat ritual,” Dewa concluded.
