Wangiwangi, SE Sulawei, Nov 27 (Antara)- Coordinating Minister for Cultural and Human Development Puan Maharani has promised to lure a number of athletes who will compete in the ASEAN Games 2018 to visit Wakatobi, a tourist destination.
Around 15 thousand athletes from the 10 ASEAN member countries will participate in the Games.
"We will convince them to visit Indonesia`s best 10 tourist destinations, including Wakatobi," Maharani said before thousands of Wakatobi people attending the Wakatobi Festival and Expo (Wakatobi Wave) 2015, here on Thursday.
For that purpose, the Wakatobi administration and residents should make proper preparations for welcoming them, she said.
"Restaurants offering Wakatobi cuisines should make preparations from now on, because it could become a tourist attraction," the minister noted.
Wakatobi should also have good and convenient hotels to welcome foreign tourists, she added.
"Don`t miss the opportunity. Attract the ASEAN Games athletes in order to promote Wakatobi internationally, particularly to those in the Asian countries," she remarked.
If Wakatobi is able to lure around five thousand athletes, it would contribute billions of rupiahs.
On Thursday, Coordinating Minister Puan Maharani inaugurated Wakatobi Wave, featuring a cultural parade and various traditional dances portraying local culture, traditions, environmental wisdom and biological diversity.
"I felt amazed while enjoying the cultural parade. The participants who were dressed to depict as certain kinds of fish, and the expressions on their faces -- these really made them look like fish," she said in her opening remarks.
Local cultural and environmental wisdom must be preserved because these are assets to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists.
"Another thing which is also important in order to attract tourists is hospitality of the local community. Welcome tourists with smiles, so that they want to come back again one day," she said.
Around 15 thousand athletes from the 10 ASEAN member countries will participate in the Games.
"We will convince them to visit Indonesia`s best 10 tourist destinations, including Wakatobi," Maharani said before thousands of Wakatobi people attending the Wakatobi Festival and Expo (Wakatobi Wave) 2015, here on Thursday.
For that purpose, the Wakatobi administration and residents should make proper preparations for welcoming them, she said.
"Restaurants offering Wakatobi cuisines should make preparations from now on, because it could become a tourist attraction," the minister noted.
Wakatobi should also have good and convenient hotels to welcome foreign tourists, she added.
"Don`t miss the opportunity. Attract the ASEAN Games athletes in order to promote Wakatobi internationally, particularly to those in the Asian countries," she remarked.
If Wakatobi is able to lure around five thousand athletes, it would contribute billions of rupiahs.
On Thursday, Coordinating Minister Puan Maharani inaugurated Wakatobi Wave, featuring a cultural parade and various traditional dances portraying local culture, traditions, environmental wisdom and biological diversity.
"I felt amazed while enjoying the cultural parade. The participants who were dressed to depict as certain kinds of fish, and the expressions on their faces -- these really made them look like fish," she said in her opening remarks.
Local cultural and environmental wisdom must be preserved because these are assets to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists.
"Another thing which is also important in order to attract tourists is hospitality of the local community. Welcome tourists with smiles, so that they want to come back again one day," she said.