- More than 2 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia in 2018, and the Southeast Asian nation’s government predicts that figure will increase to 2.6 million this year
- The Maluku Islands, once ravaged by conflict, are now renowned for their breathtaking views of untouched scenery and undiscovered spots for snorkelling and diving
Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, has emerged one of the biggest winners from a boom in Chinese tourism to Indonesia. The number of Chinese visitors to the archipelago has soared in recent years, from 858,000 in 2013 to more than 2 million in 2018, and the Indonesian government has forecast the figure will increase further to 2.6 million this year.
Likewise, Manado’s overall visitor numbers have more than doubled in the past five years. In 2018 about 180,000 were Chinese, many passing through the city, the main gateway to white-sand beaches and coral reefs.
THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS
Direct flights from Chinese cities to Manado have helped propel this increase, but price is also part of the appeal. Hotels and guest houses are cheaper than in other popular tourist destinations such as Bali. A five-day, four-night Manado package can sell for about 10 million rupiah (US$702) compared with the 14 million rupiah for a similar itinerary in Bali.Holidaymakers can explore ancient religious sites such as the Ban Hin Kiong temple, Awwal Fathul Mubien mosque and GMIM Sentrum church. The Rurukan mountains and Lake Linow are nearby, as well as the hot springs in North Minahasa, about an hour’s drive from the capital.
Manado is also home to Cap Tikus – which translates as “rat brand” – a popular wine distilled from fermented sugar palm with an alcohol content of more than 40 per cent.
The traditional cuisine of the indigenous Minahasan people is another attraction. Tinutuan is a porridge mixed with vegetables and nasi kuning (yellow rice). It is served wrapped in sugar palm leaves with abon, or crushed skipjack tuna, and a signature chilli sauce mixed with roa fish from the surrounding Celebes Sea. Other signature dishes include babi rica – a spicy fried pork dish – and rintek wu’uk – dog meat served with a mix of spices.
According to Martha Timbuleng, a travel agent in Manado, Chinese visitors enjoy the varied food. Many Minahasa natives of North Sulawesi were converted to Christianity, ensuring the cuisine is not subject to Islamic restrictions.“It’s easier to find different food here compared to Jakarta or other Muslim-dominated areas, particularly pork, dog or other ‘extreme’ culinary dishes such as bats, snakes and forest mice,” she said.
The surge in tourism has also led to an influx of tour guides speaking Mandarin. Rahmad, a 29-year-old from Surabaya, moved to Manado in 2017 with two friends in search of job opportunities. He now leads four tour groups per month and earns about 1.5 million rupiah for each trip. However, this has created tension with Manado locals, who have lost business to guides from other parts of Indonesia, particularly those who target Chinese customers by speaking Mandarin.
“[Due to greater competition] in Bali, Jakarta or Makassar, they moved here and later started to invite their colleagues to migrate as well. Local Manadonese are struggling,” Timbuleng explained. “We lose out in terms of experience and language skills.”
MALUKUS REBRANDING
North Sulawesi and Manado may be the most popular Indonesian destinations for Chinese visitors, but there are others, including Bali and Riau’s Bintan Island.
Maluku province – located between the Sulawesi and New Guinea islands – is also seeking to lure Chinese tourists, while consigning its history of violent sectarian conflict to the past.
The Maluku Islands, also known as the Malukus, are an archipelago of more than 2,000 small islands offering visitors breathtaking views of untouched scenery and undiscovered spots for snorkelling and diving.
However, between 1999 and 2002, after clashes between Christians and Muslims erupted in the capital city of Ambon, at least 9,000 people were killed as fighting spread across the islands’ two provinces, Maluku Province and North Maluku. More than 29,000 houses, 45 mosques, 47 churches, 719 shops, 38 government buildings and four banks were destroyed.
A peace treaty was signed in 2002 and although progress has been slow, the Malukus have now recast themselves as an idyllic getaway, off the beaten track.
“It was not an easy period for us. We spent a few years rebuilding everything. Tourism in particular was worst affected by the conflict. People were afraid to come and spend their holiday in Ambon or nearby islands,” said Bobby Teba, a 38-year-old travel agent who has seen business improve since 2010.
“We started having domestic tourists from Manado, Jakarta, and a small number of foreign tourists who entered through Bali, looking for more quiet natural places for a holiday.”
Most come looking for scuba diving and snorkelling spots off the Kei and Banda Islands, a group of 10 small volcanic isles in the Banda Sea. Their clean water and coral reefs offer lush undersea scenery. On land, a variety of fresh and cheap seafood awaits, often served with sago, which is starch extracted from the spongy centre, or pith, of tropical palm stems. It is an indigenous food common in the area as well as Papua.
The Indonesian government has backed the Malukus’ rebranding. The state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura has scrapped landing fees for a limited time to encourage airlines to offer more flights to the international airport in Ambon.
According to official data, some 5,000 people visited the Malukus in 2010. That has grown fourfold, reaching 20,000 in 2018, which was also a 20 per cent increase on the year before. This year, the Maluku tourism office expects that to increase to 25,000.
TOURISM DRIVES DEVELOPMENT
Huang Haolin, a 28-year-old secretary from Guangzhou, last year visited the Malukus – including Ambon, Kei Island and Banda Island.
“The islands offer clean seawater and white sands, although the facilities and service still need to be upgraded,” Huang said.
“The food is great and delicious but poor in presentation, and different from photos on the menu. Price is a problem: I think I paid more than the regular price because I’m a tourist. They need to have regulations,” she said.
The Malukus’ unspoilt beaches may have an edge over the crowded spots in Bali or Raja Ampat in West Papua, but even local officials acknowledge the emerging tourism sector must modernise and become more professional to keep pace with burgeoning demand. They hope Chinese visitors will form the cornerstone of that expansion.
“The Chinese visitors to the Maluku Islands will help enhance the promotion and hopefully trigger other international tourists to come and visit our province,” said Habiba Saimima, head of the Maluku tourism office.
The importance of Chinese tourism notwithstanding, Maluku Province is also hoping for investment in other sectors. Farming is the main industry, contributing 33.8 per cent to the province’s GDP. Fisheries are the second-largest contributor, accounting for 26.2 per cent.
Maluku Province governor Said Assagaff, however, pointed to spice plantations as an emerging industry that could attract Chinese investment.
The Malukus, after all, were once known as the Spice Islands due to the abundance of nutmeg and cloves, and the region is developing 1 million hectares of plantations.
“Tourism is just an opening. We are also persuading Chinese investors to invest in marine [industries], fisheries, education and trade,” Assagaff said.
“We hope the investments will bring mutual benefits and a positive impact on our economy and the people’s welfare.”
By Andre Barahamin