Rinjani 100 Ultra Event Has No Impact on the Surrounding Community – As expressed by the secretary of the Rinjani Tourism Circle Forum, Rijalul Fikri, the impact of the Rinjani 100 Ultra trail running race on the local community is considered to be minimal, according to him.
He stated that the internationally recognized event has not had a significant impact on the community as a whole. “Of course, there is an impact on tourism and hospitality stakeholders, but it only affects a certain group of people,” said Rijal to the Lombok Post on Friday (May 26).
He also expressed his regret that the organizing committee has not involved the community, tourism stakeholders, youth figures, and the general public in recent years. Rijal Sembapala, as he is known, stated that the involvement of the Sembalun community and tourism stakeholders is not proportional if they are only engaged as guards and porters.
According to him, the local government has performed its duties well as assigned. However, he criticized the event organizers for not involving the community and tourism stakeholders in technical and event management matters.
“We should be involved because being just guards is too simple for us,” he explained.
Royal Sembahulun, the Chairman of the Rinjani Tourism Circle Forum, confirmed what his secretary had stated. However, when it comes to direct and indirect impacts, he chose to be more objective. According to Royal, the event certainly has an impact, especially considering that participants come from 35 countries.
Read More: The Increasing of Rinjani Ground Man (Guide and Porter)
However, what is hoped for from the Rinjani 100 Ultra is for it to have a louder impact. He stated that the quality of the event has been declining each year. “Even now, the number of participants is decreasing. This needs to be evaluated. What factors have caused this, whether it’s due to low interest, high costs, or other reasons,” said Royal.
He also emphasized that the Rinjani Tourism Circle Forum supports every event held in Sembalun. However, he stressed the importance of determining whether the event has a broad impact. According to Royal, the purpose of the Rinjani 100 Ultra needs to be reviewed and reassessed. Is it for promotion or purely business? “If it’s a business, we want to ensure the profit distribution,” he explained.
This year’s Rinjani 100 Ultra event took place from May 26-28, 2023, and was attended by 593 participants from 34 countries. The Rinjani 100 Ultra this year consisted of five categories: 162 km, 119 km, 75 km, 36 km, and 27 km.
Source: Lombok Post