Yogyakarta to develop Batik-related tourism

The Yogyakarta municipal administration intends to develop batik-related tourism in 2010 now that UNESCO has declared it a world cultural heritage item.

"We want to develop batik-related tourism next year in which we will acquaint tourists with the batik-making craft," Yogyakarta Culture and Tourism office spokesperson Yulia Rustianingsih said here on Saturday.

She said UNESCO`s acknowledgment of Indonesian batik was expected to encourage batik makers to preserve their commodity.

"To promote batik-related tourism next year, we will take both domestic and foreign tourists to batik producing villages here and teach them ways to make batik," Yulia said.

She said both domestic and foreign tourists visiting Yogyakarta used to buy batik as souvenirs for their friends and relatives.

Therefore, Yulia said the Beringharjo central batik market would continue to be developed as part of the batik-related tourism efforts in Yogyakarta.

Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at his private home in Cikeas, Bogor, West Java, called on all people on Friday to continue the development and promotion of national batik.

"If we frequently wear batiks, we, besides being grateful, also help develop our own economy, increase employment and mobilize the local economies. Never allow it to happen after 15 years batiks grow in some other countries and we became upset about it. Now after it is being well recognized, it must be developed," the president said when receiving board members of the Indonesia Batik Foundation and batik lovers in connection with batik`s declaration as a world cultural heritage item by UNESCO on Friday.

He said after three of its cultural heritages being declared as part of the 76 world`s cultural heritages, namely the Keris (traditional dagger), Wayang (puppet) and Batik, Indonesia would keep registering its cultural properties.

The head of state on the occasion said that he was just preparing a surprise, namely producing batik with certain designs in cooperation with batik artists. The design would depict three national properties that had been declared a world heritage items, namely the keris, wayang and batik