Sentani, Jubi – Dozens of international tourists from the United States and the United Kingdom have visited Yobeh Village in Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, during a stopover from the expedition cruise ship Island Sky.
The tourists, travelling aboard the Island Sky operated by Noble Caribbean, arrived in Yobeh Village on Saturday afternoon, September 5, 2026.
Their visit coincided with the second People’s Festival organised by the Indigenous community of Yobeh Village.
The visitors arrived in six tourist buses after first visiting the Anthropology Museum at Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Abepura, Jayapura City.
Papua Indonesian Tourist Guides Association (HPI) chairman Nicky Mehue, who coordinated the tour guides accompanying the group, said the visit was part of a collaborative tourism concept developed with local, national and international travel agencies.
“The tourists were welcomed directly by traditional elders, dance groups and members of the Yobeh Village community,” Mehue said in Sentani on Sunday.
He said 10 Papuan tour guides trained by the HPI helped guide and assist the visitors.
The guides were divided into several groups and explained the cultural activities and events being carried out by the local Indigenous community.
Mehue said the international visitors were highly enthusiastic and impressed by the People’s Festival.
The festival featured traditional dances, performances of dancing on boats, known locally as isolo, and balobe — a traditional method of catching fish using a spear, demonstrated by children from the village.
Visitors were also able to see and purchase handicrafts displayed at stalls set up around residents’ homes.
“One of the highlights of yesterday’s visit was a traditional tattooing demonstration using traditional tools. It is an ancestral tradition that continues to be practised by the Indigenous people of Sentani today,” Mehue said.
He said international tourists typically visit a particular village or destination during each stop on their journey, making advance planning and coordination essential.
Preparations must be made well in advance through an integrated approach that takes into account the needs of the local community, he said.
“The tourists who visited the village felt very satisfied and comfortable. At the same time, the community was pleased with the festival and the positive results it generated,” Mehue said.
A community leader in Yobeh Village, Agus Sokoi, welcomed the arrival of dozens of international tourists and other visitors to his village.
He said the People’s Festival, which has been regularly held by the Yobeh Village community, was a collective initiative aimed at developing and empowering the village’s potential.
“Visits like this must have an impact on community empowerment and the growth of the creative economy, while also preserving the artistic and cultural values that we have,” he said.
Sokoi said the international tourists not only watched a range of cultural performances, but also bought traditional food and handmade accessories produced and sold by members of the Yobeh Village community.
One visitor to the second Yobeh Village People’s Festival, Alimuddin from Jayapura City, said he was surprised to see a large group of international tourists visiting the village.
“It was extraordinary. I thought it was like Bali. This is the first time I’ve seen so many tourists visiting Yobeh Village on the shores of Lake Sentani,” Alimuddin said.
“The foreign visitors were buying food and handmade accessories from local people and paying in US dollars.” (*)
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