(Yonhap Feature) Indonesia hopes to invite Korean tourists to lesser-known hot spots

By Tony Chang
MANADO, Indonesia, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Indonesia has been one of the most
popular, easy-to-pick Southeast Asian destinations among South Korean travelers,
thanks largely to Bali, a resort island attractive to newlyweds looking for an
exotic setting that is price-competitive.
But the archipelago has apparently lost some of its shine for Koreans recently.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Indonesia dropped 1.5 percent annually
in the January-April period, down to 1.86 million, according to statistics
provided by Indonesia's culture and tourism ministry.
The net decrease was mostly blamed mostly on a plunge in the number of travelers
from South Korea. While the East Asian country is still the seventh-largest
source of overseas tourists for Indonesia, the number fell by nearly 30 percent
from last year to around 73,000, marking the largest percentage drop among major
tourism sources.
By comparison, arrivals from Australia and France during the same period both
climbed more than 20 percent, according to the Indonesian government.
"This phenomenon is of great concern to us as such drastic on-year drop is
unprecedented in recent years. We believe that the drop in Korean tourists is
attributed greatly to the global economic crisis since last year," Ganda
Sumantri, head of market evaluation for the ministry, told Yonhap News Agency.
The slump in South Korean tourists is especially alarming as Indonesia aims for a
3-percent growth in the number of foreign tourist arrivals by the end of the
year.
To win back Korean travelers, Indonesia's central and regional governments are
shifting the limelight away from star destinations to lesser-known but equally
picturesque spots. Their sights have settled on Sulawesi, the world's
11th-largest island.
Covering nearly 174,600 square kilometers, Sulawesi is surrounded by the island
of Borneo to the west and by the Philippines to the north. Its trademark is an
expansive array of flora and fauna, rugged mountains as well as a multitude of
marine life.
The cities of Manado and Makassar, capitals of North and South Sulawesi
provinces, respectively, are where officials hope to reroute South Korean
vacationers.
Manado houses the Bunaken National Marine Park, which has some of the highest
levels of marine bio-diversity in the world. It also draws hard-core scuba divers
from all over the planet.
The city is scheduled to host a major diving event in August, with some 1,500
divers expected to participate. "Sail Bunaken 2009" will also be held there the
same month, bringing 24 warships and 150 sail boats as well as cruise ships from
26 countries.
"Korean travelers in the future are expected to become important for the North
Sulawesi province. There is still room for improvement in enhancing the
attractiveness of the province to make them feel at home," said Syahrul Yasin
Limpo, deputy governor of North Sulawesi.
In a recent interview, the deputy governor said he is aware the province needs to
develop more facilities to better accommodate potential Korean vacationers, such
as Korean restaurants.
Most of the tourists to Manado so far this year were from nearby regions, such as
Malaysia, while diving fans from the U.S. and Europe also made up a large
portion.
The deputy governor said the local government may conduct a feasibility study on
sealing partnerships with South Korean provincial counterparts to promote tourism
exchanges in the future.
Jim Costa, general manager of the Sintesa Peninsula, a five-star hotel in Manado,
said that based on his past experience, South Korean travelers seem to pay close
attention to "value added" services and that his company was focusing on those
areas to welcome more Korean tourists.
"Right now we have a very small number of Korean guests, but this is a new
destination. We're extremely excited about the prospect of having more Korean
tourists coming to Manado," said Costa.
Government and tourism industry officials in Makassar, the capital of South
Sulawesi province, were also hoping to scoop up some of the South Korean
travelers looking for an alternative to Bali.
"Bali has been a long-time icon of among the world resort industry, but things
found in Bali can also be found in here," said H.R. Makgansa, governor of South
Sulawesi Province.
The port city has been a logistical hub in the past, but the central government
is now expected to subsidize an array of new festivals and facilities in the
region.
Saying South Korea and Indonesia share a "flourishing relationship," the governor
added he hopes to cooperate with his South Korean counterparts to promote tourism
exchanges.
While the island of Sulawesi still faces a steep climb in proving its potential
market power to the South Korean tourism industry, travel fans familiar with the
area say it has one crucial asset -- a local talent for making foreign guests
feel at home.
"As much as I enjoyed the breathtaking sceneries in the area, I think I enjoyed
the interaction with local people a lot, too. I was really surprised at their
heartwarming and unassuming kindness to guests," said Lee Haeng-guen, a former
engineering professor from South Korea and frequent overseas traveler.
"I have never traveled to a place where people are so thankful for everything.
They even thank me for taking a picture of them going on with their everyday
lives. They are always so approachable and usually give me their e-mail address,
asking me to send a copy of the photo."
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)