ATTRACTING INCOMING JAPANESE TOURIST: THE FAILURE OF INDONESIA PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN PROMOTING WONDERFUL INDONESIA AS A NATION BRANDING (2014-2016)

Abstract

Indonesia tourism defines as a medium in implementing public diplomacy conducted by Indonesian Government. In public diplomacy, Indonesian Government through Indonesia Tourism Ministry delivers message directly and/or indirectly to Japanese in order to increase nation branding in the sector of tourism. The research question will be how Indonesia implemented its public diplomacy on attracting Japanese tourists during the time framework 2014 to 2016. The study is using the theory of Mark Leonard on public diplomacy and Simon Anholt on nation branding. Indonesian Government in this study is using Wonderful Indonesia as a tourism brand in attracting Japanese tourists. The increasing of level awareness towards Indonesia tourism nation branding could be gained by adapting Simon Anholt’s concepts. Anholt’s concept promotes a nation strategy in which Indonesia is implementing Marketing Framework, and then the substance is defined as Indonesia policy regarding tourism. The policy is reflected to the Law Number 10 Year 2009. Both strategy and substance are related each other to realize Wonderful Indonesia as a symbol of action. The branding of Wonderful Indonesia is seen as an effective way in order to attract foreign tourist especially Japanese tourist. The purpose of Wonderful Indonesia branding is to increase awareness of Indonesia tourism to international society, Japanese in particular. The increasing of nation branding leads into the increasing number of Japanese tourists in Indonesia.