Indonesia to embark on culinary tourism drive

INDONESIA will start promoting its culinary offerings as part of efforts to boost inbound tourism.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu said: “Trying (local) cuisine is one of the main things travellers look for when visiting a destination. We have an abundance of culinary diversity in Indonesia, and it is my dream for cuisine to become a way for us to promote the country.”

Data from the ministry revealed that international tourists’ spending on food in Indonesia ranked second after transportation expenditure, while spending on food by domestic tourists ranked third after transportation and non-food purchases.

Pangestu said the initiative would begin by selecting several iconic local dishes to highlight, such as Rendang from Padang, Luwak and Toraja Coffee, and Nasi Goreng (fried rice).

“We also need to develop culinary centres across the country to make it easier to promote,” she said.

Pangestu added that there was also a need to develop the quality, taste and service standards of Indonesian food. “We are not talking about standards for restaurants only, but also for the roadside stalls as well,” she said.

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