Diocese Of Labuan Bajo Opens This Year’s Festival Golo Koe With Focus On Sustainable Tourism And National Unity In Indonesia

Published on August 20, 2025

The 2025 Festival Golo Koe (FGK) formally began successful Labuan Bajo, Flores Island, successful a beardown connection delivered by Bishop Maksimus Regus. The bishop underlined nan truth that tourism must not beryllium a level for greed aliases exploitation, but 1 of fraternity, nationalist unity, and attraction for creation. That entreaty for ethical tourism rang truthful existent to nan taxable of this year’s festival: “Weaving National Unity and Sustainable Tourism that is Synodal and Inclusive.”

Festival Golo Koe: A Cultural and Religious Celebration

As 1 of nan most important yearly taste and belief events successful eastern Indonesia, nan Festival Golo Koe has gained prominence successful Labuan Bajo, a quickly increasing tourer destination known for its pristine islands, vibrant marine life, and nan globally recognized Komodo National Park. This year’s show spans an full month, starting from July 9 pinch a visit of nan statue of Our Lady of nan Assumption of nan Archipelago. The visit visited various parishes crossed nan diocese, emphasizing nan relationship betwixt taste practice and nationalist identity, pinch nan show culminating successful mid-August, coinciding pinch Indonesia’s Independence Month.

Tourism arsenic a Gift from God

Bishop Regus highlighted nan earthy beauty of Labuan Bajo arsenic a gift from God and called connected some locals and visitors to admit it arsenic divine handiwork. He urged that tourism successful nan region beryllium rooted successful ecological care, community well-being, and long-term sustainability, alternatively of short-term profits. “Labuan Bajo is an image of boundless beauty,” he said, reinforcing nan request to protect this precious gift for early generations.

A Warning Against Exploitative Tourism Practices

The bishop besides issued a beardown informing against nan risks of unlimited profit-driven tourism. He cautioned that nan beauty of Labuan Bajo could beryllium exploited and turned into conscionable different shape for greed, providing small use to nan section communities. This stance reflects nan Festival Golo Koe’s mission to connection a counter-narrative to nan increasing inclination of exploitative tourism, wherever economical interests often overshadow nan use of local residents and nan environment.

Promoting Collaboration for Sustainable Development

Since its inception 4 years ago, nan Festival Golo Koe has aimed to merge various perspectives—religious, cultural, economic, and interfaith—into nan improvement of a sustainable tourism model. The bishop expressed his gratitude for nan collaboration betwixt government authorities, nan Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, local government, police and subject personnel, clergy, and small business owners. This collaborative attack is astatine nan bosom of nan festival’s success, demonstrating that tourism tin thrive successful a measurement that benefits everyone while protecting nan organization and its environment.

Safeguarding Labuan Bajo’s Future

As Labuan Bajo continues to emergence arsenic 1 of Indonesia’s premier tourer destinations, it faces nan situation of balancing growth pinch sustainability. The region is known for its breathtaking sunsets, rich marine biodiversity, and, astir notably, nan Komodo dragons, making it a apical prime for international travelers. The Festival Golo Koe serves arsenic an important reminder that this earthy beauty must beryllium preserved.

A Call to Protect Creation

The Festival Golo Koe underscores nan domiciled of nan Church successful safeguarding creation, pinch Bishop Regus encouraging some residents and visitors to position nan earthy world arsenic a shared responsibility. Beauty, he said, is simply a divine gift entrusted to all, and it is nan work of each individual to sphere it for early generations.

A Vision for nan Future of Sustainable Tourism successful Indonesia

The 2025 Festival Golo Koe is not simply a reaffirmation of Labuan Bajo’s taste practice but alternatively an entreaty to responsible tourism that cohesively prioritizes nan situation and people. As nan fame of nan region keeps increasing, it is important to make judge that sustainability and unity are ever astatine nan bosom of its development. The show is simply a beardown witnesser to nan belief that tourism tin beryllium good—one that generates sustainable growth, celebrates taste diversity, and promotes societal harmony.