Still Focus Tasters Only, Culinary Tourism Untouched Yet

JAKARTA - If you carefully observe, many travel agencies and tourist not seeing the new potential which has not been widely explored until now. Look at the schedule and travel, both local and foreign travel, there is generally only from day to day trip to visit tourist attractions. Eating and drinking sober, without adding value to the tourists.

Whereas in foreign countries, many tour operators who have developed culinary tourism. Not only to taste food and drink, but packed with things associated with all things related to the culinary.

"The agenda ranging from come to the market, cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, enjoy the culinary street (street food), and presents the experience of the tour participants, ranging from fishing, prepare dishes to organize cooking (food styling)," said Sutiono Gunadi, an author travel, food and hotel while speaking in Talk Show "Culinary Tour, A Business Opportunities", recently.

The only tour operators who have applied the concept of culinary tourism, said Sutiono is Kelana Rasa (KR) were lead by Arie Parikesit. Starting from a Facebook group Silk Road, Kelana Rasa combines courses streets (wander) by visiting icons of tourism, learn the local culture, enjoy the local food, the origins of food, street food, party food, dining in houses, cooking demonstrations and etc.

"For example, the participants of culinary invited to taste the local food such as Mie Aceh, Sate Padang, Pempek and Pindang, Mie Belitong and Martabak Bangka, Ilabulo and bilenthango and papeda. Enjoy the party food munggah, custom Badulang, dining in local homes, demo Pelawan mushrooms cook, cooking demonstrations milu flush or binthe biluhuta, cooking demonstrations lenggang fuel. Not to mention the added blusukan in traditional markets, at the fish market, in the spice market and eat at the market, "revealed Sutiono.

From experience to follow a few times a culinary program Kelana Rasa, Sutiono observed, no complaints from participants from a variety of ethnic, regional and employment background.

He added, in business or economic theory, any business if you want to succeed must have a differentiation against mainstream business. Jargon we often hear, that love comes from the stomach, so when combined with the culinary tour, will provide differentiation for mainstream business travel. The more a person against a culinary miss, the more frequently will repeat (repeat orders).

"It is identical to the nomads who have always longed for culinary childhood. People from Semarang miss" sego chicken ", the origin Solo miss" timlo Solo "as well as people from Makassar are always looking for" Coto Makassar "when going home to the region," he continued.

As a conclusion, Sutiono stated, the scarcity of tour operators in Indonesia specializing in the realm of culinary, actually be its own opportunities to widen the opportunities in the business world tour.