INDONESIA’S CULTURAL DIPLOMACY THROUGH TOURISM PROMOTION TO PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (2015-2018

Abstract

Cultural diplomacy defined as an effort of the country to fight for interests national through the cultural dimension, both micro as education, science knowledge, sports and arts, or macro as economic. In this thesis, cultural diplomacy through tourism promotion became one of Indonesia priorities of foreign policy under the presidency of Joko Widodo in 2015-2018. Seeing by the other perspective, cultural diplomacy can be seen as the process of exchange all the aspects of culture aimed to foster mutual understanding among states and its people. The purpose of this research is to find out how cultural diplomacy through the tourism promotion can be a means for Indonesia to increase the number of tourists from China to Indonesia. Problem that the author discussed in this thesis is how did Indonesian government implement its cultural diplomacy through tourism promotion in China from 2015-2018. Using the qualitative methodology, the writer will analyze this case and answer the problem by reading and using the accuracy of the data through books, journals, manuscripts, records, historical records, official documents and others. In order to ensure the data, on the other hand, other information pertaining to the Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy goals can be achieved from primary sources such as official government data, through Ministry of Tourism Indonesia data and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Indonesia and secondary data through the news website and journals. Tourism promotion activities carried out in China in the period of 2015 - 2018 as many as 10 promotional activities that include 10 traditional activities that the author would explain in this thesis. Then the author will use the theory of soft power, the concept of public diplomacy and the concept of cultural diplomacy as basic the theory of cultural diplomacy carried out by Indonesia to Chinese tourist and as a concept in Tourism Promotion conducted by Indonesia to China. Finally the success of tourism promotion as a tool for the implementation of cultural diplomacy can be a good start to be able to build a good image for the country branding and benefit for national interests.