The Ritual of KaSa'o and the Expression of Hospitality at the Traditional Village of Tololela, Flores, Indonesia

The multitude of religions and cultures of communities with diverse geographical backgrounds had attracted a growing number of tourists to come to Indonesia. For that reason, community-based tourism has been considered as an alternative way to boost economic prosperity. On the island of Flores, the advancement of cultural tourism in the recent years has opened the opportunity to introduce the traditional village of Tololela as its new tourist attraction especially during the traditional ceremony such as KaSa'o. This article discusses KaSa'o or the ritual of the housewarming ceremony at Tololela village. We examined how the community conducted the ritual as part of the hospitality of Ngadha ethnic group and how the community created the temporary spatial arrangements at the village ground. To fully understand the meaning of KaSa'o, we conducted participant observations, interviews, and actively involved in the ceremonies of KaSa'o. We concluded that the rituals at Kasa'o involves a form of hospitality that plays a significant role to attract tourists to Tololela, which in turn drives the need for the erection of a village gate (Batanua). The gate acts as a formal attribute and marks the starting point for tourists who intend to see and learn about the traditional ethnic society in this village and also serve as a statement to the outsiders to respect the customs of the village.