Tourism in Indonesia and Bogor as a golfing destination

A.R. Sofyan, SE, AK., President Director of GolfLink Resorts talks about tourism in Indonesia.

Do you believe things will be changing in Indonesia in the coming months?

After Indonesia suffered from political crisis in 1998, the country was sleeping for more than 15 years. Now the country has started to realize that Indonesia has to move up. Before, everybody was busy overcoming the political problems. Now people are realizing that we have to do something. We have to improve tourism in Indonesia, and now golf courses have become one of the sectors that government wants to introduce to the world. In Bogor we have 11 golf courses, so the city of Bogor is now trying to work together with those 11 golf courses and publish to the world that there is a golf destination in Bogor.

Are you looking for partners as you expand?

The background of the golf course in Indonesia is very unique. The 165 golf courses in Indonesia exist not because people are interested in golfing business. Most of the golf courses are owned or managed by Army. In all areas, the Army has a golf course. Other golf course exist because of the property. People invest in golf courses not because it will create good income or good profit, but as a side business. GolfLink makes golf courses as a facility. Only two or three golf courses are developed because of the golfing business. Beyond that, it is a side business. This is probably very unique to Indonesia, and is different in other countries.