The province of North Sulawesi has received a strong endorsement as a future domestic and international tourism hotspot, with advisory firm Hotel Investment Strategies outlining its growth potential as part of a new report.

In the first of four articles examining the tourism potential of provinces in Eastern Indonesia, HIS believes a range of recent developments within the region means it is likely to welcome more visitors in the coming years.

HIS Founder and CEO, Ross Woods, said a developing economy coupled with world-class diving sites and tourist attractions would be central to its appeal going forward.

Hotel Investment Strategies CEO and Founder Ross Woods. Source: Hotel Investment Strategies

"The province of North Sulawesi is ideal for the development of future tourist facilities," he said.

"While North Sulawesi’s visitor arrivals is projected to sustain continued growth, its tourism market is unsaturated.

"This offers developers, investors, and entrepreneurs the assurance that North Sulawesi is fully capable of maintaining a financially lucrative tourism business."

Among the biggest changes to the province's tourism industry in recent times, as identified in the report, North Sulawesi has been the introduction of charter flights from China in July 2016.

According to HIS, direct services from cities such as Macau, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Changsa and Guangzhou increased the number of Chinese visitors to the province each month from 250 to almost 4,300.

Source: HIS

In 2018, 842,000 visitors in total used classified hotels in North Sulawesi, with a breakdown of 148,360 foreign and 693,870 domestic visitors. During the same year, non-classified hotels in the province attracted 21,083 foreign and 471,113 domestic visitors.

Mr Woods said the anticipated future growth of international and domestic visitors to the province was expected to bring about corresponding increases in both capacity requirements and demand for new facilities and services, paving the way for local and foreign investment opportunities.

"Future accommodation facilities must be built to address these lodging requirements for both foreign and domestic travellers," he said.

"The Trans-Sulawesi Railroad, which is currently under construction, will likely open investment opportunities for future transport when fully operational."

Click here to view the full report.

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