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Tana Toraja wants to promote local coffee to tourists
Toraja Arabica coffee has been an export commodity for countries such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Japan.
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Toraja Arabica coffee has been an export commodity for countries such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Japan. (Shutterstock/File)
T
ana Toraja regent Nicodemus Biringkanae talked about his aim to change the regency's image at the Coffee and Culinary Festival 2017 that was held in Pango Pango, Toraja on August 26.
“I want to change the image from Toraja that has been famously known for its burial cave to a lighter appeal, which is coffee,” said Nicodemus.
Coffee from Tana Toraja, labeled as Toraja Arabica coffee, has been an export commodity for countries such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Located 300 kilometers north of Makassar, South Sulawesi's provincial capital, Tana Toraja is surrounded by hills and mountains, situated 1,700 meters above sea level.
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“Toraja coffee is served in more than 5,000 cafes and restaurants in Japan. This festival is the first step to develop coffee tourism in Toraja," said the tourism ministry's archipelago tourism marketing development deputy, Esthy Reko Astuti
Esthy also suggested for the Torajan people to develop coffee as a leading commodity that can also serve as a tourism object, an example is enjoying a cup of Arabica Toraja while touring the plantation.
“In Japan, Toraja coffee is the most expensive coffee, one cup is priced at is Rp 169,000 ($12.67). We can create a tour that explores Toraja Coffee, selling the beauty of Toraja through coffee,” Esthy added.
Tourism minister Arief Yahya also hopes for Toraja coffee to boost local tourism. "We can invite tourists to harvest coffee, see the planting, picking and processing of the coffee beans for themselves. This will take Toraja coffee tourism to a new level," he said. (asw)
