- Aceh secured three entries in KEN 2026, with the Aceh Culinary Festival ranked among the national Top 10.
- Officials said the recognition comes with empathy, as parts of Aceh are coping with disaster impacts.
- The province expects the events to help recovery by supporting MSMEs, artists and local communities.
Three of Aceh’s cultural and tourism events have been included in the 2026 Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN), a flagship tourism calendar program initiated by the Ministry of Tourism.
“The achievement should still be viewed through an empathetic lens, considering that Aceh is currently facing a disaster that has affected part of the population,” Aceh Culture and Tourism Agency head Dedy Yuswadi said in Banda Aceh on Saturday.
The three Aceh events selected for KEN 2026 are the Aceh Ramadan Festival, the Aceh Culinary Festival and the Banda Aceh Colossal Coffee Experience.
The events showcase Aceh’s cultural heritage, culinary traditions and community creativity, packaged in a national-standard format.
The Aceh Culinary Festival made it into the Top 10 of KEN 2026, placing it among the country’s leading events.
Dedy said the inclusion of three Aceh events in the 2026 KEN lineup—one of them in the national Top 10—reflects recognition of the province’s cultural strength and creative capacity.
He added that the achievement does not diminish the province’s sense of empathy, as Aceh is also dealing with the impacts of a disaster.
In that context, he said, staging cultural and tourism events is part of efforts to support economic and social recovery.
“God willing, these activities will become a space for community economic revival, especially for MSME players, artists and local communities, while also serving as a means to strengthen solidarity and optimism to rise together after the disaster,” he said.
He added that the Aceh Culture and Tourism Agency remains committed to ensuring the events are organized with social sensitivity and deliver tangible benefits for residents, in line with the spirit of collaboration and regional recovery.
For context, events included in KEN 2026 have undergone a strict curation process, assessed through indicators such as ideas and innovation, marketing and communication strategy, event and financial management, as well as analysis of economic and social impact.
The program also encourages synergy among the central government, regional administrations, communities, and stakeholders in the tourism and creative economy industries.
KEN 2026 is a strategic program initiated by the Ministry of Tourism and features 125 curated events from 38 provinces. The program is designed to strengthen regional events as key drivers of national tourism while promoting a more even distribution of economic benefits.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara