Indonesian Ambassador to France Armanatha Christiawan Nasir has offered Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo an opportunity to open a coffee shop in Paris as he said Parisians’ interest in coffee products from Central Java was high.

“Coffee products from Central Java always attract French people, therefore I offer the Central Java governor the chance to open a coffee shop in Paris so [we] can tap into the potential,” he said during a visit to Governor Ganjar’s official residence in Semarang on Sunday evening, as quoted by Antara.

Besides coffee products, he went on to say, the French are also familiar with the province's popular tourist attraction the Borobudur temple.

A sizable number of French came to Indonesia only to visit Borobudur, he added.

“Borobudur has become one of the most popular destinations in France. Now French people are not only familiar with Bali but also Borobudur, and many of them go to the temple,” he said.

The visits by French tourists to Central Java have great potential because every August is a month-long holiday in France, he said.

During the month, the French usually travel to many places. 

"At the moment, one of the most popular destinations is Borobudur temple. The Central Java administration has to make the best of the potential because French people usually stay a long time during their trips -- between 10 and 20 days," said Armanatha.

The ambassador said his French friends, who had visited Borobudur, were in awe at the area's various tourist attractions. Not only the great temple and interesting cuisine but also unique handicrafts by locals amazed French tourists.

“Some of the French tourists even make their annual trip to Borobudur just to enjoy dishes in small stalls near the temple. They say the food is delicious and they crave it. There are also tourists who are amazed by the arts and culture,” he said.

In response, Governor Ganjar took seriously the offer to open a coffee shop in Paris. He immediately asked his staff to measure the possibilities.

“There are many Central Java products that are in high demand in France, but when [Armanatha] mentioned the popularity of Central Java coffee, I became interested in opening a shop there. We have to put this into action,” he said. (gis)