By: Ronald Pohan
Thanks to the 21st National Sports Week (PON) Aceh-North Sumatra (Sumut) 2024, the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), tourism and culture sectors were also boosted. With the support of the government and stakeholders, local MSMEs have a golden opportunity to develop more widely.
PON XXI Aceh-North Sumatra (Sumut) is a golden momentum for the revival of the regional economy. The largest competition event in Indonesia has a significant positive impact on the UMKM entrepreneurs in the region.
Because, PON XXI Aceh-Sumut involves at least 6,281 people not including tourists and other guests. Tourists who come are certainly focused on tourist attractions in the area.
Therefore, an economist from the Islamic University of North Sumatra, Gunawan Benjamin, assessed that PON XXI is estimated to have at least 10 thousand tourists from outside North Sumatra. He added that this golden opportunity must also be utilized as well as possible to promote tourism in each region.
One of the most obvious impacts of PON XXI is the increasing demand for local products. There are thousands of athletes, officials, and tourists coming from all over Indonesia, creating a significant spike in demand for goods and services, culinary, handicrafts, and local fashion products.
MSMEs that previously only had limited market reach, with the presence of PON XXI in Aceh-North Sumatra, they now have a good opportunity to introduce their products to a wider market.
Secretary of the Tourism Office, Vianti Dewi Nasution confirmed the surge in demand. She said that by being a good host during PON XXI 2024, Medan tourism will increase. If so, it will later become a positive multiplier effect . For example, with an increase in hotel occupancy and an increase in the business of creative economy actors.
In addition, the presence of PON XXI Aceh-Sumut is also a means of promoting local tourism and culture in the region. Indirectly, it will also raise the image of local MSME products. The cultural richness of Aceh and North Sumatra (Sumut) such as culinary, traditional crafts, to performing arts can also increase the attraction of visiting tourists, so that MSMEs can become an integral part of the rich and attractive local cultural identity.
Head of the Karo Regency Culture, Sports and Tourism Office Munarta Ginting will offer guests a vacation to various leading tourist attractions in Karo. He mentioned some of these attractions such as Berastagi City, Sipiso-piso Waterfall, Tongging, Lake Toba, hot springs, and other places rich in natural beauty and culture.
Sari Fadilah, one of the owners of a Digital Printing business, said that she and her team took advantage of this golden opportunity by taking the initiative to create PON XXI merchandise. Her team produced various merchandise such as pins, key chains, t-shirts, mugs, rubber bracelets, tumblers, and stickers.
Not only sold retail, Sari added that her work was also distributed to traders who would sell the knick-knacks during the 2024 PON XXI event taking place in Aceh-North Sumatra. The prices offered also vary, starting from IDR 20 thousand to IDR 100 thousand per unit.
Sari added that there was an increase in demand during the Aceh-North Sumatra PON, so with their quick movement they have started distributing to MSMEs who will resell them to customers. He hopes that this momentum will be a point of economic revival for the community.
Of course, the success of MSMEs in utilizing the momentum of PON XXI is also inseparable from the role of the government and the private sector which fully support MSME sectors through funding, capital access, and promotional facilities. There are various forms of assistance in the form of subsidies, soft loans, and business training and mentoring programs.
There are various benefits and real impacts felt by local MSMEs to grow and develop with the presence of PON XXI 2024 Aceh-North Sumatra. In addition, MSMEs are not only successful in meeting the needs of PON, but also gain new skills and knowledge that will certainly be useful for the sustainability of their businesses in the future.
The presence of PON XXI Aceh-Sumatera provides a refreshment for MSMEs in both regions. The success of local MSMEs also proves their resilience and creativity in utilizing existing opportunities, in addition to showing the importance of support from various parties to encourage regional economic growth.
Local MSMEs can also continue to grow into important pillars in the post-pandemic economic revival. It should also be noted that PON XXI is not just about sports, but also about how the event can positively change the regional economy.
*) Faculty of Economics and Business, HKBP Nommensen University
