Tourism Strategy of South Celebes:
Visitors Subsidized

It is commonplace for tourists to take holiday to a destination at their own expense. But, if there is a regional government providing subsidy to tourists during their stay at a destination, that is an extraordinary thing and worth giving appreciation as the manifestation of regional government’s strategy and breakthrough to again encourage local tourism.

It is at once creative and the first breakthrough in Indonesia undertaken by a regional leader whose great concern is with tourism as the impetus of socio-economic activities. He is Dr Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Governor of South Celebes who dares to subsidize the (domestic and foreign) tourists spending holidays to South Celebes, especially to Tana Toraja through the Lovely December program. “As soon as the tourists set foot in South Celebes, they become my responsibility. Regional Government provides 50% subsidy for them and, together with my apparatus across the South Celebes I promise to support the activities during their holiday,” revealed the man who is familiarly greeted as Syahrul, while explaining that the policy denotes a part of endeavor to deliver incentive to tourists and at the same time makes South Celebes the cheapest destination in the world.
At Hotel Marante, Rantepao, Tana Toraja (22/8) prior to the launching of the Lovely December program, the former Deputy Governor of South Celebes stated to Image-Bali Travel News that the program is intended to regenerate the tourism industry in his region, particularly at Tana Toraja. The regional government re-launched the Lovely December program to encourage the tourism of South Celebes starting from Tana Toraja because it has become an international brand owned by South Celebes.
Lovely December constitutes a pure concept rolled out by Syahrul after being installed four months ago. He wishes to generate and excite the tourism of South Celebes from Tana Toraja. The tourism of Tana Toraja, he said, once achieved its golden period and even in 1990s the hotel rooms were fully booked due to high demand. In alignment with the monetary crisis, Gulf War and Bali bomb tragedy, the tourism of Tana Toraja also collapsed. Lovely December poses an eminent program and initial measure to take back the glory of Tana Toraja as one of the brands of the eminent destination in South Celebes. “I’d like to bring back the tourism glory of Tana Toraja. In the past, myriad tourists came to Toraja, on occasions we even lacked rooms. Now, we’d like to reinstate such outstanding achievement,” revealed the Governor while ensuring that through the Lovely December program, the government draws the foreign and domestic tourists to come to South Celebes, notably to Toraja.
(image/poll)