Page 69 - World Heritage and Tourism Innovation

Smart City Branding: Kota Manado

Carly Stiana Scheffer-Sumampouw Ilynka Maria Aprilia Singal
University Pelita Harapan, Indonesia University Pelita Harapan, Indonesia
Carly.scheffer@uph.edu mariailynka@gmail.com
Magdalena Lestari Ginting
University Pelita Harapan, Indonesia
magdalena.ginting@uph.edu

The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) have seventeen development priori-
ties for UN member countries. The eleventh goal is to build inclusive, safe, durable,
and sustainable cities and settlements. Thus, Indonesia’s smart city branding should
align with the SDGs’ sustainable city concept. Indonesia’s 34 provinces are divided
into 98 cities and 416 districts. The Ministry of Communication and Information
Technology of the Republic of Indonesia drives the country’s intelligent city initia-
tive. In 2017, Manado City became one of Indonesia’s first 100 smart cities.
This article uses a qualitative approach with exploratory research by observa-
tion-visiting Manado, relating with the people, meeting and interviewing govern-
ment officials and tourism experts, and then triangulating it with an internet news
articles search. It can be inferred that the idea of smart city and city branding is
considered a top-down policy from the central government. Policymakers and the
Manadonese tourism community work in isolation, resulting in “diversity in har-
mony” remaining a slogan rather than being promoted as a solid brand.
The findings, diversity in harmony, truly serve as the DNA of Manado. However, in-
telligent city branding requires a collaborative effort from a visionary government,
the tourism community, and the inhabitants.
Keywords: city branding, SDGs, smart city, Manado
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-417-0.65-75

Introduction transport, with special attention to the needs of those
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have sev- in vulnerable situations, women, children -children,
enteen areas that become references for countries that people with disabilities and the elderly; (iii) By 2030,
are members of the United Nations to carry out de- promote inclusive and sustainable urbanization and
velopment. The eleventh goal of the SDGs is to build capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable
cities and settlements that are inclusive, safe, durable, settlement planning and management in every coun-
and sustainable. This goal operationally has small tar- try; (iv) Strengthen efforts to protect and preserve the
gets to be achieved by 2030, including: (i) By 2030, world’s cultural and natural heritage; (v) By 2030, sig-
ensure access to adequate, safe and affordable housing nificantly reduce the number of deaths and the num-
and basic services for all and improve the quality of ber of people affected and substantially reduce the
slum settlements; (ii) By 2030, provide access to safe, direct economic losses associated with global gross
affordable, accessible and sustainable transport sys- domestic product caused by disasters, including wa-
tems for all, improve road safety, by increasing public ter-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the

Proceedings of the 7th UNESCO UNITWIN Conference | 65