INDONESIA’S GASTRODIPLOMACY TO CHINA THROUGH TOURISM PROMOTION IN THE YEAR OF 2014 - 2018

Abstract

Indonesia is a country that has national wealth in culture and beauty of tourist destinations. Aware of this capability, Indonesia uses it as a tool to gain its national interest in order to increase economic and social growth of nation. 1 by stated several regulations and national meeting. Tourism promotion activities such as festival, exhibition, sales mission, and other direct tourism promotion from 2014-2018 in China were the example of the implementation of tourism promotion development strategy abroad. By the role of Ministry of Tourism who brought traditional foods and drinks to China as one of tourist attractions, it signify that Indonesia has practiced gastrodiplomacy. This research aims to prove that food and drink involvement in tourism promotion activities in China indirectly leads to other activities related to International Relations studies, which is gastrodiplomacy. Therefore, this research use qualitative methodology that relies on report from Ministry of Tourism as the primary data along with the article in journal, books, and scientific publications both printed and electronic as the secondary data.