PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java Tourism and Culture Department (Disparbud) started the West Java Academy workshop, Saturday (4/5/2024).

The opening of the Smiling West Java workshop was attended by Acting Governor of West Java Bey Machmudin and Head of Disparbud Benny Bachtiar.

Smiling West Java Academy is a public space activation from the West Java Tourism and Culture Department through tourism workshops, as well as 17 sub-sectors to develop human resource capacity for tourism and the creative economy.

Acting Governor of West Java Bey Machmudin said this activity could be a forum for developing cultural tourism and the creative economy as well as showing future opportunities.

"I believe our future is in the creative economy," said Bey Machmudin, Saturday (4/5/2024).

According to Bey, West Java will start building a creative economy in 2022-2023 through the use of technology. Then 2023-2025 will be a period of acceleration with synergy and collaboration with creative economy players.

West Java itself is at the forefront of developing the creative economy, contributing 20.74 percent to the national creative economy GRDP.

However, according to Bey, there is still homework that needs to be done. Especially regulations and ecosystems in facing global competition.

West Java itself has Regional Regulation Number 15/2017 concerning Creative Economy and Gubernatorial Regulation Number 44/2021 concerning Action Plan for Creative Economy Development for 2012-2025.

"Construction of creative nodes (creative hubs) is one of them," said Bey.

Creative hubs can be a creative space for the community as well as a medium for creating regional economic independence.

The West Java Provincial Government is committed to presenting creative center buildings and activating public spaces through pentahelix collaboration. One of them is the arts and creative public space at the West Java Dispasbud.

Head of the West Java Tourism and Culture Office, Benny Bachtiar, said that creative classes or workshops would be held continuously every Saturday and Sunday in four meeting sessions.

"It is hoped that the Smiling West Java Academy will become a forum for players in the tourism industry and creative economy to develop their potential," said Benny.

Wave 1 of the workshop will be held for 6 weeks including workshops on tourism, hospitality, tour guides, game development, performing arts and musical arts.

For batch 1, Disparbud collaborated with Bandung Polytechnic, Association of Indonesian Tourism Actors (ASPPI), Association of Indonesian Musicians, PHRI, Agate Academy, Singlet Kabaret, Senandung and KPJ West Java.

The target participants include tourism industry players, creative industries, associations, communities, students and students as well as ASN/non-ASN who want to be involved in developing the creative economy. Batch 1 was attended by dozens of participants.

"We believe this activity can optimize the potential of tourism and creative industry players while also answering employment and entrepreneurship challenges. Because this can also be a marketing event for the creative industry," he said.