Bali Craft Advocates Say Markets Can Preserve Culture
Craft-sector advocates in Bali said artisans need dependable markets and income to keep traditional skills alive, with Happy Salma linking economic opportunity to cultural preservation.
By Mukmin John
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Bali — Local craft-sector advocates said on Oct. 7 that artisans need real markets, consumer access and dependable income if traditional skills and cultural knowledge are to endure. The remarks were made during a discussion in Bali involving Happy Salma, founder and creative conceptor of TULOLA.
The discussion placed the economic survival of artisans at the center of cultural preservation. Happy Salma said the biggest challenge in developing Indonesia’s cultural wealth was building a real market for local products. When products are not absorbed by the market, artisans’ income is threatened and fewer people may remain in the profession.
She said preservation requires more than storing historic works or presenting traditions at cultural events. It also requires consumers, exhibition space, market access and collaboration with businesses so traditional skills retain economic value and cultural knowledge can pass to the next generation.
Why market access matters for Bali’s cultural future
For foreign residents and visitors, the discussion means that buying locally made crafts is not only a matter of choosing a souvenir. Demand helps determine whether artisans can continue earning from skills inherited through their communities. The source report presents market access as part of the infrastructure that allows those skills to remain a livelihood.
Happy Salma also described cross-sector collaboration as a way to give artisans more opportunities to present their work and test how consumers respond. Wider access to consumers, she said, creates greater opportunities for artisans to earn from their expertise.
The remarks were reported from Bali on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The report did not state a specific government measure, funding amount or deadline following the discussion.
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