Labuan Bajo UMKM earns through events after earthquake

Labuan Bajo — A Labuan Bajo microbusiness operator earned about IDR 1 million (about US$62) per day from tourism events after the earthquake, according to a September 26 report. The report said events helped the business recover orders that had disappeared after the disaster.

Istiqomah, who operates a grilled-meatball microbusiness, said she stopped selling online and offline from August 15 for almost a month because orders had dried up. She said joining events provided a way to keep trading and earning income.

The report said post-earthquake orders declined because many clients had not returned and economic conditions had weakened. It identified bazaars, festivals, community activities and tourism programmes in Labuan Bajo as opportunities for local businesses to reconnect with customers.

Why it matters to readers

The development links tourism-event activity with the recovery of Labuan Bajo’s local economy. For visitors, it shows that events are also serving as trading spaces for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the fall in orders.

Khairun Nisa, an UMKM participant at the Parapuar Event, said businesses used each event to reintroduce their products, meet potential customers and rebuild networks disrupted by the earthquake. The report said participating businesses hoped more events involving local UMKM would create new customers and restore lost orders.

A separate Radio Republik Indonesia report said the Picnic Over the Hill Volume 5 event was held at Parapuar on September 19 after being postponed from August 22 because of the earthquake. The Badan Pelaksana Otorita Labuan Bajo Flores, the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority, involved 17 UMKM in that event.

The September 26 report did not state a further schedule or a government measure for the next phase of the business recovery.

Sources

• Tribunnews Kupang — regional news report
• Radio Republik Indonesia — public broadcaster report