Living Room Destination at Eastern Indonesia

Makassar City, known as Maritime City, retains abundant natural and cultural potentials. Similarly, this city serves as the hub of trading activities in East Indonesia Region.
Observing such potential, slow but sure, Makassar would become the leading tourism destination of South Celebes. “And today Makassar needs to diversify its tourism products in order that tourists would not feel saturated with those very same things,” stated Anggiat Sinaga, Chairman of Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) of Makassar City at Clarion Hotel Makassar recently.
Anggiat revealed that Makassar is now preparing itself as a ‘living room’ destination along with brand image Great Expectation. “One of them is by designing the seafood as culinary tourism,” said Anggiat who is now chairing three 4-star hotels in Makassar City namely Clarion, Quality and Grand Palace.
He further explained that product diversification of Makassar would flourish if it is thoroughly supported by local government. “Industry is ready. The problem now lies in whether the government would entrust the industry to promote tourism because industry in fact, is more familiar with the tourism market,” he stated firmly.
Sumatera-born Anggiat appealed that in short-term the government of Makassar City, together with tourism businessmen, performs a promotion to Bali Island because Bali has become the hub of tourism in Indonesia. “If this promotion is consistently executed every year, I’m sure that tourism of Makassar would develop rapidly and become renowned,” he revealed while explaining that this matter was once discussed in the forum of Tourism Development and Promotion Board (BP3) of Makassar. Unfortunately the institution inaugurated by tourism businesspeople had no power because it was not supported by promotional fund.
“On the other hand, the Office of Cultural and Tourism Service would like to go in its own way whereas all personnel of BP3 consist of experts at tourism. Indeed, we intend to help but such institution intends to make their own way, so we could do nothing,” he revealed disappointingly. Best regards from Makassar!! (image/poll)