Makassar Hosts Gastrodiplomacy Tour for 28 Nations

RRI.CO.ID, Makassar - Makassar, South Sulawesi is welcoming diplomats from 28 countries this week as the city and Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry stage the Indonesia Gastrodiplomacy Series (IGS): Diplomatic Tour Goes to Makassar held from 23–25 June 2026. This event is designed to convert cultural exchange into concrete economic partnerships.

The IGS stop in Makassar is part of a joint effort between the Makassar City Administration and the Foreign Affairs Ministry to use gastrodiplomacy as a platform for promoting trade, investment, tourism, and cultural identity. The initiative also aims to foster the exchange of knowledge and innovation in support of regional development.

As reported by Antara, Makassar Mayor, Munafri Arifuddin, said the program is a deliberate element of Makassar’s integrated promotion strategy aimed at the international diplomatic community.

“Through this activity, we hope to expand international cooperation networks, increase trade and investment, and strengthen Makassar’s position as one of the economic gateways to eastern Indonesia,” he said on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.

Under the theme Bringing Flavours, Cultures and Business Opportunities, the event brings together ambassadors, heads of mission, their spouses, consuls general, and diplomatic corps members from economic and socio-cultural sectors. The delegation will be led by Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy, Ambassador Heru H. Subolo.

Activities begin with a welcoming dinner at Fort Rotterdam that showcases Makassar’s culinary heritage and a large-scale dance performance representing the province’s four largest ethnic groups. The second day features an Investment and Business Forum, opened by the South Sulawesi Deputy Governor and attended by local business actors.

Organizers say the forum will introduce economic cooperation opportunities and facilitate business contacts. It will also highlight Makassar and South Sulawesi’s strengths in trade, investment, industry, tourism, culture, cuisine, maritime sectors, and the creative economy.

Delegates will take a city tour to the Makassar City Museum and visit an exhibition of local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) flagship products at the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) Centre Point of Indonesia pavilion. They will also sail aboard a Pinisi ship, the iconic Bugis-Makassar maritime vessel, to experience the region’s seafaring heritage.

Director of Public Diplomacy, Ani Nigeriawati, expressed hope that the Makassar edition of IGS will catalyze practical partnerships between the city and international partners.

“Through IGS, we want to bring together regional potential with diplomatic networks and international business actors. This will allow cooperation opportunities across various fields to be formed, ultimately providing tangible benefits for Indonesia,” she said.

IGS, a flagship program of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, has been held five times across Indonesia. The initiative leverages the archipelago’s culinary diversity as a soft-power tool to strengthen international friendship while opening doors for trade, investment and tourism cooperation. ***