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South Korea’s Jeju taps Indonesian influencer Anang Hermansyah to restore tourism lustre

  • Anang Hermansyah’s appointment as Southeast Asian tourism ambassador comes as more Koreans shun Jeju in favour of international destinations

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People walk towards a beach on South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea’s southern Jeju Island, long the country’s tourism crown jewel, is losing its shine. Fickle domestic travellers are now opting for international trips, while a fatty pork controversy has also hit the island’s famed black-pork restaurants and culinary scene hard.
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In a bid to reverse its fortunes, Jeju’s provincial government is pulling out all the stops – enlisting an unlikely ally in the form of Indonesian influencer Anang Hermansyah. With over 6 million social media followers, the entertainer was named Jeju’s promotional ambassador in June and tasked with drawing more Southeast Asian tourists to the island.

Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun proudly unveiled the partnership in a recent Instagram post, touting its potential to revive the province’s fortunes.

 

“I had a great time with the Anang family, who are very active on social media,” he wrote. “I hope that exchanges between Jeju and Indonesia, as well as many other countries, will become more active.”

Anang first made a name for himself as a musician before being elected to Indonesia’s House of Representatives in 2014, serving a five-year term. These days, he wears many hats – including as a judge on the hit reality singing competition Indonesian Idol – while also creating online content alongside his celebrity singer wife Ashanty, who boasts over 30 million social media followers.
Now, Anang is bringing his considerable influence to bear on Jeju’s tourism hopes, posting videos promoting the island’s restaurants and markets to his nearly 5 million Instagram followers.
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The move comes as Jeju struggles to lure domestic visitors, who are increasingly opting for overseas travel over the once-beloved island getaway.
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